Soaring To New Heights in Reading Grade 6 - E-Sourcefile - WM

Soaring to
New Heights
in Reading
Second Edition
6
FOR EVALUATION ONLY. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION.
Grace A. Talosig
Milagros A. Dela Cruz
Josefina S. Pano
Armia R. Pomoy
Thelma Grace A. Leung
Josefina S. Pano
Consultant
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Printed in the Philippines
ISBN 978-621-405-105-2
Contents
Preface, ix
Acknowledgments, xi
unit 1 Remembering and Caring

lesson 1 Woodman, Spare That Tree .............................. 2

Identifying Cause and Effect ............................... 4
Recognizing Rhyming Words ............................... 5
Understanding Words with Multiple
Meanings ....................................................... 6
Identifying Parts of a Book ................................. 7
Performance Task: Delivering a Speech
to Convince .................................................... 9
lesson 2 Mysteries of Nature ........................................... 11

Distinguishing Fact from Opinion....................... 16
Using Synonyms .................................................. 17
Using Adjective Suffixes ...................................... 18
Classifying Books in the Library ........................ 18
Performance Task: Writing
an Informative Article .................................. 20
lesson 3 The Wonderful Hair ........................................... 22

Recognizing Similes and Metaphors ................... 26
Using Context Clues ............................................ 27
Identifying Connotations and Denotations ........ 27
Performance Task: Writing Quatrains ............... 28
lesson 4 The City of Rome ................................................ 30

Choosing the Most Appropriate Outcome ........... 37
Using Context Clues/a Dictionary ...................... 39
Syllabicating Words ............................................. 39
Using a Dictionary ............................................... 40
Performance Task: Making a Children’s
Storybook ...................................................... 41
lesson 5 The Two Gifts ...................................................... 43
Identifying Characters’ Emotional Response ..... 48
Using Dictionary Clues ....................................... 49
Syllabicating Multisyllabic Words ...................... 49
Using the Encyclopedia ....................................... 50
Performance Task: Writing a Diamond Poem .... 51
lesson 6 Pride Goes Before a Fall ................................... 53

Identifying Elements of a Story........................... 57
Using Context Clues............................................. 57
Alphabetizing to the Fourth or Fifth Letter........ 59
Using a Card Catalog........................................... 60

Performance Task: Writing and Performing
a Street Rhyme or Rap ................................. 61
unit 2 Coping with Changes and Pride

lesson 1 Rainbow ................................................................ 64
Drawing Conclusions ........................................... 70
Identifying Shades of Meaning ........................... 71
Recognizing Personification ................................ 72
Using Reference Materials .................................. 73
Performance Task: Writing a Blog ...................... 74
lesson 2 Mulan—One Smart Girl .................................... 75

Stating the Author’s Purpose .............................. 79
Identifying Metonymy ......................................... 80
Identifying Dictionary Meanings ........................ 81
Using Guide Words .............................................. 82
Performance Task: Writing News ....................... 83
lesson 3 The Princess and the ? ...................................... 84

Distinguishing Reality from Fantasy.................. 90
Identifying/Using Prefixes .................................. 91
Identifying and Writing Alliterations ................. 92
Using the Dictionary ........................................... 93
Performance Task: Reading a Story Orally ........ 94
iv
lesson 4 Mini-Minnie.......................................................... 96
Noting Cause-Effect Relationships ..................... 101
Choosing Appropriate Meaning of Words
with Multiple Meanings ............................... 102
Identifying/Writing Hyperbole ............................ 103
Using the Dictionary: Pronunciation Key .......... 104
Performance Task: Writing a Blog....................... 105
lesson 5 Become What You Want to Be .......................... 106

Identifying the Main Idea.................................... 109
Using Suffixes ...................................................... 111
Identifying Onomatopeia ..................................... 112

Using an Index ..................................................... 113
Performance Task: Making a Presentation ........ 114
lesson 6 The Little Match Girl ......................................... 115

Comparing and Contrasting ................................ 119
Identifying Meanings of Idiomatic
Expressions.................................................... 120
Using Latin Roots ................................................ 123
Getting Information from a Diagram ................. 125
Performance Task: Interviewing ......................... 125
unit 3 Exploring Messages

lesson 1 Three Questions .................................................. 128
Distinguishing Fact from Opinion ...................... 134
Identifying Synecdoche and Assonance .............. 135
Identifying Synonyms and Antonyms ................. 136
Identifying Propaganda Techniques ................... 136
Performance Task: Writing a Different
Ending ........................................................... 138
lesson 2 After Twenty Years ............................................. 140

Identifying Emotional Reactions......................... 145
Identifying Parts of a Plot/Stating the Plot ........ 147
Using Latin Roots Correctly................................. 148
Getting/Evaluating Information
from a Line Graph......................................... 149
Performance Task: Writing a Sequel .................. 150
v
lesson 3 Who Is More Cunning?....................................... 151
Identifying Outcomes........................................... 156
Making Conclusions ............................................. 157
Using the Glossary .............................................. 158
Getting Information from a Graph ..................... 160
Performance Task: Writing a Script ................... 161
lesson 4 A Wish About Freckles ....................................... 163

Identifying the Tone of a Selection ..................... 170
Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships....... 171
Identifying Words Through Context ................... 172
Using General Reference Materials .................... 174

Performance Task: Writing a Character
Analysis ......................................................... 175
lesson 5 The Blue Lady...................................................... 177

Distinguishing Reality from Fantasy.................. 185
Identifying Sensory Perception ........................... 186
Identifying Words with Multiple Meanings........ 187
Reading Maps ...................................................... 188
Performance Task: Making a Presentation ........ 189
lesson 6 The Mad Woman ................................................. 191

Identifying Fact or Opinion ................................. 196
Identifying Supporting Details ........................... 197
Identifying Words Through Context Clues ......... 198
Using Different Forms of Print Materials ......... 198
Performance Task: Writing an Editorial ............ 200
unit 4 Understanding the Uncommon

lesson 1 The Story of the Old Man and of the Hind.... 202
Evaluating Statements ........................................ 207
Identifying Figurative Language ........................ 207
Using Idiomatic Expressions ............................... 208
Getting Information from an Index..................... 209
Performance Task: Creating Digital Poster ....... 211
vi
lesson 2 In a Ballet Class .................................................. 213
Outlining/Organizing Ideas ................................. 217
Identifying Different Types of Literature ........... 218
Using Homonyms ................................................. 219
Using a Table Efficiently...................................... 219
Performance Task: Writing a Movie Review ...... 220
lesson 3 The Giving Tree................................................... 222

Identifying Sensory Images ................................. 225
Using Context Clues ............................................ 227
Identifying Different Forms

of Nonprint Materials ................................... 227
Performance Task: Choral Reading
Recitation ...................................................... 228
lesson 4 The Leopard Man’s Story.................................. 230

Identifying Character’s Feelings or Traits ......... 235
Drawing Conclusions ........................................... 236
Identifying Synonyms and Antonyms ................. 237
Filling Out Forms Efficiently ............................. 238
Performance Task: Writing Comic Strips ........... 239
lesson 5 Johnny’s Magic Lunch Box .............................. 240

Recognizing the Author’s Purpose
in Writing ...................................................... 246
Using Prefixes and Suffixes ................................ 247
Noting Details on Following Directions .............. 248
Performance Task: Writing a Poem .................... 249
lesson 6 The Mystery of the Tobacco Shed ................... 251

Making Generalizations ...................................... 256
Comparing and Contrasting ................................ 257
Using Greek Prefixes and Suffixes ..................... 258
Using Digital Materials ....................................... 259
Performance Task: Writing a Paragraph
of Comparison and Contrast ........................ 259
Glossary ......................................................................................... 261

Bibliography .................................................................................. 267
Index .............................................................................................. 269
vii
Preface
Dear Grade Six Readers,
Welcome to Abiva’s K to 12-compliant Reading series entitled
Soaring to New Heights in Reading. The series aims to make you
effective readers for life.
Soaring to New Heights in Reading 6 (Second Edition) contains
a wide array of quality fictional and nonfictional selections that have
been carefully chosen to meet the interests and needs of modern-

day readers. These selections are easy to read, interesting, and are
values laden. The first unit, Remembering and Caring, contains
a selection of legends, folktales, and inspirational stories that will
make you remember, appreciate, and value things of the past. The
second unit, Coping with Changes and Pride, has selections that
help you cope with various challenges and inspire you to take pride
only in doing good deeds. The third unit, Exploring Messages, has
stories that emphasize the significance of communication, be it oral or
written. The last unit, Understanding the Uncommon, has varied
selections with themes that focus on different aspects of human
interests.
Each lesson begins with an advance organizer called Getting
Ready. This section poses questions that would make you form
predictions and guesses based on the illustrations. This activates your
schema or prior knowledge, and stimulates you to read the story and
have fun in doing so. This part also includes Vocabulary Alert, where
you find some difficult words you should understand before reading
the story.
The selections have prediction boxes. These contain questions
that will require you to recall important details of what you have read
and predict what is likely to happen next. This is one way of honing
your skill in predicting or making inferences.
A series of exercises is found at the end of each selection. These
are exercises on comprehension, literary appreciation, vocabulary,
research, and study skills which are based on the K to 12 competencies.
A teaching part is provided before the directions are given. This allows
you to recall the selection and to brush up on particular reading skills
before answering the exercises independently.
This worktext includes an enrichment part titled Performance
Task. This part suggests activities that will allow you to apply
creatively what you have learned through various media. This also
provides for the development and application of multiple intelligences.
I hope you find pleasure in using this book. May you soar to new
heights in reading and eventually become effective readers for life!
The Authors
Acknowledgments
George Pope Morris for “Woodman, Spare That Tree”; Joseph
Jacobs for “Pride Goes Before a Fall”; David C. Knight for “Mysteries
of Nature”; W.S. Karajich for “The Wonderful Hair”; Miles Publishing
House for Young Power in English 6 (Reading) from which “City of Rome”
was adapted; Lilian Gask for “The Two Gifts”; Karleen Bradford for
“Rainbow”; “The Princess and the ?”; “A Wish About Freckles”; “The
Blue Lady”; and “Johnny’s Magic Lunchbox”; The Philippine Journal of

Education and Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio for “Mulan Is One Smart
Girl” from which “Mulan—One Smart Girl” was adapted and “In a
Ballet Class”; Gillian G. Virata for “Mini-Minnie”; Brian Cavanaugh
for “Become What You Want to Be”; Hans Christian-Andersen for
“The Little Match Girl”; Leo Tolstoy for “Three Questions”; O. Henry
for “After Twenty Years”; Guy de Maupassant for “The Mad Woman”;
The Arabian Nights Entertainments for Andrew Long’s “The Story of
the Old Man and of the Hind”; Shel Silverstein for “The Giving Tree”;
Jack London for “The Leopard Man’s Story”; and August Strindberg
for “The Mystery of the Tobacco Shed.”
Every effort has been made to request for permission to reprint

and to locate ownership of some copyrighted materials. Information
that will enable the Publisher to rectify any reference or credit in
subsequent editions will be most welcome. Likewise, any error that
may have been committed is not intentional and shall be corrected in
subsequent editions.
Remembering
UNIT
1 and Caring
What will make something worth remembering? Will it be an

experience of caring or loving from a family member or a friend?
It is always nice to remember things that gave you pleasure to do
as well as people whom you shared good experiences with. You
should care for those memories as they are very much a part of you.
To further enhance your skills in English, you will be made to
do the following performance tasks:
• delivering a speech to convince
• writing an informative article
• writing quatrains
• making a children’s storybook
• writing a diamond poem
• writing and performing a street rhyme or rap
1
LESSON
1
Getting Ready
Trees are of absolute importance but, sad to say, many

people do not realize this. Unconcerned people cut down trees
thoughtlessly. Read the title of the poem. What is the author
saying? Why do you think he is pleading to the woodman to
spare the tree?
Vocabulary Alert
cot hew spare bough renown
Woodman, Spare That Tree

by George Pope Morris
1
Woodman, spare that tree!
Touch not a single bough!
In youth it sheltered me,
And I’ll protect it now.
’Twas my forefather’s hand
That placed it near his cot;
There, woodman, let it stand,
Thy axe shall harm it not!
2
That old familiar tree,
Whose glory and renown
Are spread o’er the land and sea,
And wouldst thou hew it down?
Woodman, forebear thy stroke!
Cut not its earth-bound ties;
O, spare that aged oak,
Now towering to the skies!
3
When but an idle boy
I sought its grateful shade;
In all their gushing joy
Here too my sisters played.
My mother kissed me here;
2
My father pressed my hand—
Forgive this foolish tear,
But let that oak stand!
4
My heart-strings round thee cling,
Close as thy bark, old friend!
Here shall the wild-bird sing
And still thy branches bend.
Old tree! The storm still brave!
And, woodman, leave the spot;
While I’ve a hand to save,
Thy axe shall harm it not.
Looking Back
A. Directions: Answer the following questions orally.

1. What is the poet’s plea to the woodman?
2. What promise does the poet make to the tree?
3. Do you agree with the poet? Why?
B. Directions: Read the poem again and identify the lines

intended for the woodman and for the tree. Write them on
the lines provided.
Lines meant for the woodman
3
Lines meant for the tree
Sharpening Skills
Identifying Cause and Effect

A cause is the reason something happens. An effect is
what happens because of something. A cause happens first but
sometimes, in sentences, the effect is written first before the
cause is revealed.
Examples:
1. Joshua didn’t study his lessons
(cause)
that is why he failed the tests.
(effect)
2. Joshua failed the tests
(effect)
because he didn’t study his lessons.
(cause)
4
Directions: Read each sentence carefully. Underline the cause
once and the effect twice.
1. If more and more people carelessly cut down trees, flash
floods will be frequent.
2. Today, people know much about the environment; as a result,
they have become more aware of their surroundings.
3. However, only a few individuals show genuine concern;
because of this, the problem is not fully attended to.
4. The government must be serious in implementing tree
conservation programs so that careless and illegal cutting
down of trees would be stopped.
5. If the government totally stops illegal logging, then landslides

and f lash f loods will be lessened.
6. The grade 6 class recently launched a book project because
they wanted to share books with the children in extended
communities.
7. Myra, the class president, was yearning to donate a new book
so she started saving money.
8. She encouraged her classmates to do the same; as a result,
many children got new ones.
9. The school principal heard about the project so he called all
the grade 6 pupils to his office.
10. Mr. Reyes, their adviser, was very glad because the project
was successful.
Recognizing Rhyming Words

Rhymes are very similar or identical recurring f inal sounds
in words within or, more often, at the end of lines of verses.
Example:
Woodman, spare that tree!

In youth it sheltered me.
Tree and me are rhyming words.
5
Directions: Go over the poem again and list on the lines the
rhyming words that you will see.
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ __________________________
Understanding Words with Multiple Meanings

Sometimes, a word may have more than one meaning.
Example: shade a. a color or hue

b. a shelter from sunlight
Which do you think between the two is the meaning of shade

in stanza 3? The answer is b.
Directions: Determine the meaning of each word below as it is used

in the poem. Use the number in parentheses as guide in locating
the stanza where the word is found. Then choose the appropriate
meaning of each word and encircle its letter. The f irst one has been
done for you.
1. spare (1) a. to refrain from destroying
b. not being used
2. single (1) a. not married
b. relating to one of more parts
3. glory (2) a. praise, honor, or distinction extended
b. great beauty
4. stroke (2) a. to rub gently in one direction
b. a blow with a weapon
5. towering (2) a. reaching to a great height
b. impressively high or great
6
6. idle (3) a. doing nothing
b. to spend time aimlessly
7. bark (4) a. short loud cry of a dog
b. tough corky covering of a stem
8. stand (3) a. to rest, remain, or set upright
b. a raised platform
9. spot (4) a. a blemish or stain
b. an area in a surrounding
10. hand (3) a. a part of the forelimb
b. to give or pass something
Identifying Parts of a Book

To be able to use a book more effectively, one should be
familiar with its parts. The following are the major parts of
a book.
1. Title Page. It gives the complete title of the book, the name of
the author/s, and the publisher.
2. Copyright Page. It gives the date and place of publication and
the copyright holders.
3. Preface. It states the purpose of the book. It also tells the
presentation and organization of topics.
4. Table of Contents. It presents the lessons, which are grouped
into units in the order of their appearance in the book.
5. Text. This is the heart of a book. This is where one finds the
lessons and the exercises.
6. Glossary. It is a small dictionary found at the last pages of
a book.
7. Index. It is a detailed alphabetical listing of topics together
with the pages where they are found.
A. Directions: Read each item carefully. Identify which part of

a book it is found. Write the answer on the lines.
1. Unit 3
“Three Questions”........................... 54
“After Twenty Years”..................... 58
2. short story
elements, p. 135
character, p. 137
setting, p. 138
7
3. “The Reading Hour”
4. Dear Readers,
This book aims to make you a better
reader.
5. Philippine Copyright 2003
by
Abiva Publishing House, Inc.
6. Read each item below. Decide whether
each is a fact or opinion. Write F if it is a
fact, O if it is an opinion.
7. hermit /hŭr'mĭt/ n. one that lives in
solitude especially for religious reasons

pastime /păs'tīm/ n. something that
helps to make time pass agreeably
warfare /wôr'fâr/ n. military operations
between enemies
B. Directions: Using your knowledge about the different parts

of a book, choose the piece of information that does not belong
to the group. Encircle the letter of your answer. Then write
your reason in the space provided.
8. a. Soaring to New Heights in Reading 6
b. Copyright 2011
c. Grace A. Talosig, et.al
d. Abiva Publishing House, Inc.
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
9. a. Develop reading comprehension and the love for
reading
b. Hone vocabulary and study skills
c. A word may have more than one meaning
d. Enjoy reading the selections of different genres
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
10. a. onomatopoeia, p. 116
b. headline, p. 215
c. Latin roots, p. 210
d. noting details, p. 88
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
8
Performance Task
Delivering a Speech to Convince

The Science Club in your school is holding a symposium
dubbed as Plant a Tree and Save Generations. You are invited as
one of the speakers of the said event. Your task is to give a three-
minute talk about the importance of planting trees and how it can
save generations. Your audience will be a group of grade 6 pupils
from a nearby school. Your speech should be clear, purposeful, and

convincing. As a speaker, you must be dressed appropriately.
Name: ___________________ Date: _______ Section: ___________

Category 4 3 2 1 Score
Posture and Stands up Stands up Sometimes Slouches
eye contact straight, looks straight and stands up and/or does
relaxed and establishes straight and not look at
confident. eye contact establishes eye audience
Establishes with everyone contact. during the
eye contact in the room presentation.
with everyone during the
in the room presentation.
during the
presentation.
Pitch Pitch was Pitch was Pitch was Pitch was not
often used and often used but rarely used or used to convey
it conveyed the emotion the emotion it emotion.
emotions it conveyed conveyed often
appropriately. sometimes did not fit the
did not fit the content.
content.
Clarity Speaks Speaks clearly Speaks clearly Often mum-
clearly and and distinctly and distinctly bles or cannot
distinctly all all the time, most of the be understood,
the time, and but mispro- time. Mispro- or mispro-
mispronounces nounces one nounces more nounces more
no words. word. than one word. than one word.
Volume Volume is Volume is Volume is Volume often
loud enough loud enough loud enough too soft to
to be heard by to be heard by to be heard by be heard by
all audience all audience all audience all audience
members members at members at members.
throughout the least 90% of least 80% of
presentation. the time. the time.
9
Enthusiasm Facial Facial Facial Very little
expressions expressions expressions use of facial
and body and body and body expressions
language language language are or body
generate a sometimes used to try language. Did
strong interest generate to generate not generate
and enthusiasm a strong enthusiasm, much interest
about the topic. interest and but seem in topic being
enthusiasm somewhat presented.
about the faked.
topic.
Prepared- Pupil is Pupil seems Pupil is Pupil does not
ness completely prepared but somewhat seem at all

prepared and might have prepared, but prepared to
has obviously needed a it is clear that present.
rehearsed. couple more rehearsal was
rehearsals. lacking.
Total Score /24
10
LESSON
Getting Ready
Read the title of the selection. What is a mystery?

It is something that cannot be explained or solved.
2
One such mystery is why bees can fly even if their
wings are so tiny. Look at the pictures below. What
other mysteries of nature do you think the selection
tells about? Read and find out.
Vocabulary Alert
nature intricate adaptable astonishing
Mysteries of Nature
by David C. Knight
1
This article is about some things that seem to defy the laws
of nature: bees that f ly with tiny wings, “f lexible” goldf ish, trees
that never stop growing, cats that journey hundreds of miles to
return home. Those things “can’t” just happen but they do. How
they happen is still a mystery, even to scientists.
11
What are the mysteries of nature that the selection tells about?
How do most insects fly? How do you think bees fly even with just
their tiny wings? Read on.
2
Until fairly recently, it was a mystery how certain large bees,
bumblebees in particular, were able to f ly. To scientists who study
the physical laws of f light, a bee’s body is airborne and remains so.
Bees “can’t” f ly... but do. The mystery became so intriguing that a
few scientists decided to study it.
3
Most insects f ly by using muscles that f lap their wings with
great speed. For example, the locust beats its wings at a rate of
about 20 times per second to f ly. Other f lying insects have to beat
their wings even faster—some as rapidly as 100 times per second.
4
But bees must work extra hard to become airborne. Honeybees,
for instance, must beat their wings about 200 times a second to
f ly. Yet larger bees—like bumblebees—whose bodies are heavier,
wider, and longer—have to do even better. The scientists found
that to stay aloft, such bees must beat their wings at the amazing
rate of 300 times a second or more—a rate that previously was
believed impossible. To put it another way, this type of bee has to
f lap its wings at an astonishing 18,000 times to f ly for one minute.
How do most insects fly? What did scientists find that enables
bees to fly? The paragraphs below tell about the flexible goldfish.
Why do you think the goldfish is flexible? Read on.
5
Other mysteries haven’t been solved yet. For example, there
is the mystery of the “f lexible” goldf ish. Other animals stay within
a fixed growth pattern; they reach a certain size and grow no
more. People and most plants do the same. But this is not true of
the goldf ish. A pet goldf ish kept in a small bowl will remain small
all its life. Yet the same f ish, if kept in an outdoor pool, may grow
to a length of a foot or more.
6
Occasionally pet goldf ish escape from ornamental pools or
brooks in parks and gardens into nearby rivers or lakes. They are
so adaptable that they do not die but become wild goldf ish. They
also start to grow again. Some of these wild goldf ish that have
been caught measure close to two feet. Scientists are puzzled by
this f lexibility. No other f ish adapts itself quite so remarkably to
its environment. It’s still a mystery.
12
Why is the goldfish said to be flexible? People and animals stop
growing at a certain age. What about trees? Can you explain why?
Read on.
7
Likewise, there is the mystery of why trees don’t stop
growing—still unsolved. Human beings usually stop growing
sometime during their teens. Many animals reach full growth
within a year. Others are fully grown in just a few years. Birds
and insects also stop growing at a certain age. But trees keep
growing as long as they live.
8
Trees live, grow, and reproduce themselves by an amazing
process. The thousands of leaves put forth by the tree breathe for
it and manufacture its food. Its root system gathers minerals and
vast quantities of water. To carry this water to the leaves, the
tree is equipped with an intricate circulation system that extends
upward from the millions of root hairs through the trunk and
branches. The trunk holds the leaves up to the sunlight, sends
them water from the roots, and gets food back from them. Then
seeds are borne in f lowers or cones.
9
Years after, the cycle repeats itself, and the tree grows larger
and larger. Only the death of the tree—through human efforts,
disease, or some other cause—halts the growing process. For
some hardy trees, like the giant sequoias, that day may still be
thousands of years away. Meanwhile, the process of continuous
growth goes on. Scientists who study biology still cannot explain
why trees do not stop growing.
Do trees stop growing? Describe how trees grow and

reproduce. Can scientists explain why trees do not stop growing?
You have heard about cats coming home even after a long journey.
Why do you think they can do this? Read on.
10
How cats travel long distances to return home is also a
mystery that scientists cannot explain.
11
In the autumn of 1968, a housewife in the suburbs of a
large midwestern city heard scratching sounds at her front door.
Puzzled, she went to the door, opened it slowly, and after a few
seconds exclaimed, “Jingles!”
12
Jingles was the family’s black-and-white cat. The woman could
scarcely believe her eyes because Jingles had been lost for over four
13
weeks—ever since the family had missed the cat on a vacation at
a lake resort 300 miles away. When, at the end of the vacation, the
cat had not shown up, they had had to leave without him.
13
At f irst, the woman thought she must be mistaken. The cat
looked like Jingles, but its fur was so matted and dirty that it was
hard to tell. Also, one of its ears was torn and there were patches
of dried blood on its back. But when the woman saw the grimy
white star on the cat’s back chest, she knew it must be Jingles.
14
The woman took Jingles into the bathroom and cleansed him
up as best she could. Then she fed him. Except for his torn ear and
slight limp from a cut on one of his legs, Jingles seemed to be in
reasonably good shape after his ordeal.

15
Around the dinner table that night, the family talked about
what poor Jingles must have gone through. How had the cat
managed to stay alive for all those days and miles? How had it
found food? How had the animal known in which direction the
city lay and, once he had reached it, how had he made his way
through the busy streets to the correct suburb and his home? The
lake resort was so isolated, with twisting confusing roads leading
to it, that Jingles must have had traveled long miles through
fields and woods on his way back. There were also several small
rivers that the cat must have had to swim across.
14
16
As the family shook their heads over these mysteries, Jingles
purred happily on the sofa. Already he seemed to have forgotten
his terrible experience and was content simply to be back with the
people he loved.
17
This story is not an unusual one. Cat owners all over the world
have reported similar cases of their pets traveling long distances,
overcoming tremendous obstacles, to f ind their way back to their
homes. One cat, returning from New Jersey to Brooklyn, must
have had to cross the Hudson and East Rivers. Whether it used
bridges or swam, no one would ever know. Yet it reached home
safely. Another cat, lost in the Arizona desert, somehow made its
way across the sandy wasteland to its home in Phoenix—over 100

miles away.
18
Some animal experts have compared this amazing ability of
cats to that of homing pigeons. But here is one difference. Pigeons
must be trained by their owners to return. Each training period,
they are taken farther and farther from their homes, until they
have learned to f ly back over great distances. But cats are given
no such training. They just seem to be able to f ind their way back.
19
Does this “homing instinct” have something to do with cats’
keen sense of smell? It doesn’t seem likely. Even for cats, the smell
of home would be too far off for them to sniff their way back. It is
still a mystery.
To what do some animal experts compare cats’ ability to come

home after a long travel? Describe how homing pigeons are trained.
Are cats trained the same way? Does the author believe that it is the
cats’ sense of smell that is responsible for their ability to find their
way back home?
15
Looking Back
Directions: Complete the mystery table using the information

from the selection.
Mystery Table
Thing of Nature What We Wonder About

Sharpening Skills
Distinguishing Fact from Opinion

A fact is something that is true or proven. An opinion is what
someone thinks. It may not always be true.
Example :
Fact : Ms. Carillo has been teaching for ten years.
Opinion : I think Ms. Carillo is an effective teacher.
Directions: Read each sentence carefully. Write F if it is a fact, and

O if it is an opinion. Write your answer on the line.
1. Most insects f ly by using muscles that f lap their wings

with great speed.
2. Some scientists say that bumblebees are unable to f ly
because of their tiny wings.
3. A goldfish kept in a small bowl will remain small all
its life.
4. Goldf ish are so adaptable that they do not die but
become wild goldf ish.
5. I believe there are other f ish that are also f lexible like
the goldf ish.
16
6. Trees live, grow, and reproduce themselves by an
amazing process.
7. Scientists who study biology still cannot explain why
trees do not stop growing.
8. Cats have a keen sense of smell.
9. Homing pigeons are able to f ind their way back home
even without training, according to some experts.
10. There are a lot of things in nature that science cannot
explain.
Using Synonyms
Synonyms are words that mean the same or nearly the same.
Examples: wise—intelligent
plenty—bountiful
Directions: Look for the word in the selection that means the
same or nearly the same as the word before each number. The
number in parentheses tells the paragraph in the selection where
the word is found. Write the word in the blank to complete the
meaning of the sentence.
lately (2) 1. The truth about the sensational case was

found out just .
f lexible (6) 2. The members of the committee presented to
the group rules.
amazing (4) 3. The unbeatable athlete put on an
record of 6.5 seconds in the
interschool sports competition.
intense (19) 4. Cats are territorial animals. They have a
sense of smell which enables
them to f ind their way back.
enormous (8) 5. The f
ields grow different
varieties of corn and wheat.
complex (8) 6. The growing disagreement between the two
families brought about
problems.
bewildered (6) 7. The student tried very hard
to understand the math problems.
hardly (12) 8. The chairman of the board could
tell the observers that they
were wrong.
17
torment (14) 9. In the olden days, anyone who did not follow
orders went through the of f ire.
barrier (17) 10. Noise is an to good
communication.
Using Adjective Suffixes

A suffix is a letter or a group of letters added to the end of
the base or root word to make another word. Many adjectives
are formed by adding -y, -ful, -able, -ish, -ic, and -ious to the root
words.
Example:
full of beauty—beautiful
having the nature of an athlete—athletic
can be expanded—expandable
Directions: Read each def inition below. Add a suff

ix to the
underlined word to make it an adjective. Write the new word on
the line. Be mindful of the changes in spelling.
1. characterized by guilt:
2. like a child:
3. full of mystery:
4. having the nature of an artist:
5. characterized by might:
6. full of doubt:
7. like a boy:
8. characterized by rain:
9. having the nature of irony:
10. full of care:
Classifying Books in the Library

Books in the library are arranged and placed together in a
special way. Arrangement of books is largely based on what the
books are all about. In this sense, books are classif ied according to
a system. This will help you and other people locate books easier
and faster.
18
The two most widely used systems of classif ication are the
Dewey Decimal Classification System (DDCS) and the Library of
Congress. The DDCS is more widely used in grade school libraries.
Below is the Dewey Decimal Classif ication System.
Computer Science, information, and general works (encyclopedia,

000—099
almanac, etc.)
100—199 Philosophy (behavior, psychology)
200—299 Religion (men’s faith)

300—399 Social Sciences (education, government)
400—499 Language
500—599 Science (including Mathematics)
600—699 Technology and Applied Science
700—799 Fine Arts and recreation (music, sports, drawing)
800—899 Literature (essays, poems, plays, literature in foreign languages)
900—999 History and Geography
Directions: Refer to the table and write the general classification

number under which you will look up each of the following titles.
Write your answer on the line.
1. Psychology of the Adolescent
2. Prose and Poetry
3. The Rise and Fall of Imelda Marcos
4. English Language: Grammar and
Composition
5. Home Designs 2000
6. Amazing Discoveries
7. The Catholic Faith
8. The New Almanac
9. Philippine Educational Laws
10. Computer Hour
19
Performance Task
Writing an Informative Article

The editor in chief of the school paper asked you to submit an
article about the different things of nature that children your age
wonder about. Your article must be more than 150 words. It should
contain information of at least five things about nature and what
makes each interesting or unique. Encode your article and print on
a short bond paper and then submit to your teacher. Your article
must have a main idea, be organized, coherent, and should follow
language and writing conventions.
Ideas Includes main Stays on the Stays on the Stays
idea(s) with topic (does topic but with minimally
five or more not ramble just three focused on the
well-developed or repeat). well-developed topic.
supporting Includes supporting
details. main idea(s) details.
with four or
more well-
developed
supporting
details.
Language No errors in Most Some Many errors in
and writing capitalization, capitalization capitalization is capitalization.
conven- punctuation, is correct. correct. Some Punctuation
tions grammar, and Most sentences is missing
spelling. sentences have correct or incorrect.
contain punctuation Many errors in
correct and grammar. grammar and
punctuation Some words spelling.
and grammar. are spelled
Most words correctly.
are spelled
correctly.
20
Organiza- Has an Has an Has an Lacks
tion/coher- engaging inviting identifiable introduction
ence introduction; introduction; introduction and/or
with a topic with a topic and conclusion.
sentence and sentence and conclusion.
satisfying conclusion.
conclusion.
Effort and Great effort Enough effort Work is lacking Work has very
neatness is evidently is exerted to in effort to little evidence
put into make work make the work of effort to
neatness and adequately adequately make it neat
organization. neat and neat and and organized.
organized. organized.
Total Score /16
21
LESSON
3
Getting Ready
This story tells of a poor man who had many children.

What do you think is his biggest problem? Read the title of
the story. What do you think makes the hair wonderful? Read
to find out.
Vocabulary Alert
pluck vision perish rivulet

The Wonderful Hair

by W.S. Karajich
1
There once lived a man who was very poor, and who had
many children; so many that he was unable to support them. As
he could not endure the idea of their perishing of hunger, he was
often tempted to destroy them. His wife alone prevented him. One
night, as he lay asleep, there appeared to him a lovely child in a
vision. The child said—
22
Why was the man tempted to kill his children? What kind of a
man was he? What do you think he dreamt about?
2
“Oh, man! I see your soul is in danger, in the thought of killing
your helpless children. But I know you are poor, and am come
here to help you. You will f ind under your pillow in the morning
a looking glass, a red handkerchief, and an embroidered scarf.
Take these three things, but show them to no one, and go to the
forest. In that forest you will f ind a rivulet. Walk by the side of
the rivulet until you come to its source; there you will see a girl, as
bright as the sun, with long hair streaming down her shoulders.
Take care that she does you no harm. Say not a word to her, for if
you utter a single syllable, she will change you into a f ish, or some
other creature and eat you. Should she ask you to comb her hair,
obey her. As you comb it, you will f ind one hair as red as blood;
pull it out and run away with it. Be swift, for she will follow you.
Then throw on the ground, f irst the embroidered scarf, then the
red handkerchief, and the last of all the looking glass. They will
delay her pursuit of you. Sell the hair to some rich man; but see
that you do not allow yourself to be cheated, for it is of boundless
worth. Its produce will make you rich and thus you will be able to
feed your children.”
What was the dream about? Would he be able to remain silent

and get the red hair? How?
3
Next morning, when the poor man awoke, he found under his
pillow exactly the things the child had told him in his dream. He
went immediately into the forest, and when he had discovered the
rivulet, he walked by the side of it, on and on, until he reached its
source. There he saw a girl sitting on the bank, threading a needle
with the rays of the sun. She was embroidering a net made of the
hair of the heroes, spread on a frame before her. He approached
and bowed to her. The girl got up and demanded—
4
“Where did you come from, strange knight?”
5
The man remained silent. Again she asked him—
6
“Who are you, and why do you come here?” And many other
questions. But he remained silent as a stone, indicating with his
23
hands only that he was dumb and in need of help. She told him
to sit at her feet, and when he had gladly done so, she inclined
her head toward him, that he might comb her hair. He began to
arrange her hair as if to comb it, but as soon as he had found the
red one, he separated it from the rest, plucked it out, leaped, and
ran from her with utmost speed.
Was he able to pluck the red hair? Do you think the man was
able to get away from the girl?
7
The girl sprang after him, and was soon at his heels. The man,
turning around as he ran, and seeing that his pursuer would soon
overtake him, threw the embroidered scarf on the ground. When
the girl saw it, she stopped and began to examine it. Meanwhile
the man gained a considerable distance in advance. The girl tied
the scarf round her bosom and recommenced her pursuit. When
the man saw that she was again about to overtake him, he threw
down the red handkerchief. The girl again stopped, examined and
wondered at it; the peasant was again enabled to increase the
distance between them. When the girl perceived this, she became
furious, and throwing away both scarf and handkerchief, began to
run with increased speed after him. She was just upon the point
of catching the peasant, when he threw the looking glass at her
feet. At the sight of it, the like of which she had never seen before,
she picked it up and looked in it. Seeing her own face, she fancied
there was another girl looking at her. At this point, the man ran
so fast that she could not possibly overtake him. When the girl
saw that further pursuit was useless, she turned back.
How was he able to get away from the pursuing girl? What
would the man do with the hair? Would they become rich?
Read on and find out.
8
The peasant, joyful and unhurt, reached his home. He showed
the hair to his wife and children and told them all that had
happened. His wife just laughed at the story. The peasant, taking
no heed at the ridicule, went to a neighboring town to sell the
hair. Merchants began to bid for his prize. One offered one gold
24
piece, another two, and so on until the price rose to a hundred
gold pieces. The king heard about it that he ordered the peasant
to be called in, offered him a thousand gold pieces for it. The man
joyfully sold it.
How did the poor man outwit the girl? What became of the
poor man’s family? How did the story end? What reality of life does
the story tell you?
Looking Back
Directions: Read the incomplete storyboard below. Using the

same format, write the missing events in the story. Then draw
each event in the form of a storyboard.
Storyboard
1. A very poor man 2. 3. He went to the

lay asleep one forest.
night.
4. 5. He combed the 6.
hair of the girl.
7. The girl got 8. 9. Then the man

furious and ran threw down the
after him. red handkerchief.
10. 11. 12. The man sold

the hair and his
family became
rich.
25
Sharpening Skills
Recognizing Similes and Metaphors

Writers sometimes use words in special ways known as f igures
of speech. A simile is a f igure of speech that makes a comparison
using the word as or like.
Example: Jay’s heart is as hard as stone.
A metaphor is a group of words that tells how two things are

alike. A metaphor shows how two things are alike by describing

one thing as if it were the other without the use of as or like.
Example: She’s a phantom of delight.

Directions: Read the sentences below. Encircle the two things
being compared. Then tell whether the comparison is a simile or
a metaphor. Write the answer on the line.
1. There was once a man who was as poor as

a rat.
2. Feeding his children was a pain in his

neck.
3. He had many children. They were hungry

as sharks.
4. A child appeared in his vision. He was

like an angel in disguise.
5. The lady’s hair was red as blood.
6. The girl beside the rivulet was beautiful

like Helen of Troy.
7. Her voice echoed through the forest like a

thunderstorm.
8. She ran like lightning.
9. The forest was a labyrinth with many

twists and turns.
10. The wonderful hair was a treasure chest

to the family.
26
Using Context Clues
You can tell the meaning of a word from the words or phrases
that precede or follow it. This is called learning from context.
Directions: Look for the words in the story that mean the same
as the given words or phrases. The number after the meaning
tells the paragraph in the story where the word is found. Write
the word on the line.
1. the front of the human chest (7)
2. angry, full of rage (7)

3. a warrior of feudal times (4)

4. a small stream (2)
5. moving with great speed (2)
6. passing away completely (1)
7. proceed along (2)
8. pulled off or picked (6)
9. a person with a low status (8)
10. mockery (8)
Identifying Connotations and Denotations

Words have connotative and denotative meanings. Connotation
is the associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression.
Denotation is the explicit meaning or the dictionary meaning of a
word or expression.
Example: 1. The man felt blue after hearing the news that
his friend left to work abroad.
The word blue in this sentence is a connotation because its
meaning is associated with the feeling of sadness or loneliness.
Example: 2. The blue sea with the setting sun is an

awesome sight to behold.
The word blue in this sentence is a denotation because it
refers to the literal meaning which is “a color.”
27
Directions: Read each sentence carefully. Write on the line C if
the italicized word is connotative. Write D if it is denotative.
1. The big tree at the corner of the street is

the home of some birds.
2. The house beside the tree is a home to the

Reyes family for thirty years.
3. The side of the fence of the house near the

tree is painted green.
4. The fence was painted by a family relative

from the side of Mr. Reyes.
5. Yesterday, a house near the home of the

Reyes family caught fire.
6. Their neighbors were on fire when they

heard about it.
7. They were alarmed because they saw

black smoke.
8. The barangay captain saw to it that

firemen were around.
9. The fire was put under control after thirty

minutes.
10. The barangay captain told everyone to

control his or her temper.
Performance Task
Writing Quatrains
A quatrain is a poem consisting of four lines. It includes
details on the topic/subject, its qualities, descriptions, how one
feels about it, and a personal impression. Consider the following
subjects: family, friends, stars, and books. Write a quatrain
for each of them. Read your poems to five different people in
the campus. Let them grade you based on the rubrics on the
next page.
28
Focus The entire Most of the Some parts of No attempt
on the poem is poem is the poem are has been
assigned related to the related to related to the made to relate
topic assigned topic the assigned assigned topic, the poem to
and allows topic. The but the reader the assigned
the reader to poem does not learn topic.
understand wanders off much about
much more at one point, the topic.
about the topic. but the reader
can still learn
something
about the
topic.
Poetic The poem The poem The poem No evidence
quality uses a lot of made use made use of of rhyming
rhyming words of rhyming rhyming words words and
and figures of words and and figures figures of
speech. figures of of speech speech used.
speech. minimally.
Total Score /8
Score: A _____ B _____ C _____ D _____ E _____ Ave. _____
29
LESSON
4
Getting Ready
Look at the illustration. What do you see? What is a

colosseum? A colosseum is an amphitheater in Rome where
gladiators in early Roman times fought. What else do you
see? Gladiators were common in Rome. They fought to death
for public entertainment. A colosseum and gladiators tell you
of Rome. Where do you think Rome got its name? Find out
from the story as you read it.
Vocabulary Alert
dungeon peasant pasture reverence
The City of Rome

1
In the olden times,
Alba was a beautiful
kingdom in Italy. The
kingdom had two
treasures: the city of Alba
itself and the fertile lands
that surrounded it and the
gold bars, coins, precious
stones, and jewels. When
the king of Alba died, he
left two sons, Amulius
and Numitor.
30
What two treasures did the kingdom of Alba have? Who were
the two sons of the king? How would the sons divide the two
treasures? Who would get which?
2
Amulius and Numitor could not decide who between them
would be king.
3
“Let us divide the treasures of the kingdom,” said Amulius.
4
“Which do you like, the kingdom or the treasure?”
5
“I choose the kingdom,” said Numitor. “You keep the treasure,
Amulius.”
6
So Numitor was made the king of Alba. But he was a poor
king. He had no treasure. Amulius lived outside the city. He was
not king but he was the richest man in the whole of Italy. He kept
the treasure of Alba.
7
But Amulius longed for the kingdom too. He wanted to keep
the treasure but he wanted to rule the land too. Since he was a
wealthy man, he paid soldiers to f ight for him. His soldiers drove
Numitor out of the city. Now Amulius was the king of Alba and he
kept its treasure too.
Who got which? How did Amulius become king? What can you
say about Amulius? What would happen to Numitor?
8
Numitor, with a few loyal friends, lived out of the city. He
was so sad he could not take with him his daughter, Princess
Sylvia. The princess was held prisoner by King Amulius in one
secret dungeon. Numitor lived like a farmer. He tilled the land
and kept cows and sheep.
9
One day, an old servant came to see King Amulius and said,
“Know, O Great King that the Princess Sylvia bore two healthy
sons in the dungeon. Your own daughter, the Princess Antho,
took care of her.”
10
King Amulius was so frightened. “Princess Sylvia had two
sons! Who knew what the princess’ sons would do when they grew
up.”
11
“Princess Sylvia and her two sons must be put to death!” But
the Princess Antho begged for Sylvia’s life.
12
“Don’t kill her, Father. Sylvia is the only friend I have. If she
dies, I die, too!”
31
13
Princess Antho begged hard for her cousin’s life. Amulius
gave way.
14
“Sylvia shall live but her sons must die!”
15
King Amulius ordered his servant to take the babies away
and cast them into the River of Tiber.
What happened to Numitor? Why was King Amulius afraid of

Sylvia’s sons? What would happen to Sylvia’s sons? Would the
babies die?
16
The servant did as he was ordered. He put the two babies
inside a basket. When he got to the river, the water was high.
There was a strong current. He was afraid to go near the deep
part of the river. He put the basket just near the shallow bank.
17
“I will not cast the basket into the river. They will not die
here. The water will rise and drown the babies. Or they will die of
cold and hunger.”
18
The water in the river rose higher and higher and came over
to the banks where the basket was. But it did not drown the
babies. It lifted the basket gently as if it were a mother rocking a
cradle. The currents f loated the basket away and brought it in a
pleasant grove.
19
A big bird from a nearby tree looked down on the babies
inside the basket. “What lovely little birds!” it sang. From the
woods came a big gray mother wolf. It came near the basket and
looked at the babies. “What lovely little cubs!” it thought.
What happened to the babies? What did the servant do? Would
the babies survive?
20
The babies woke and were hungry. They saw the big mother
wolf above them. They reached up their little hands and their
hungry mouths sought the wolf ’s teats. The big bird f lew away to
the woods and picked berries for them. For a time, the two babies
were cared for by the wolf and the bird. They became strong and
rosy babies. They did not care whether they were boys or birds or
little cubs.
32
21
By chance, Anton, one of King Amulius’ herdsmen, came upon
the riverbank. He saw the basket and the two babies. He heard
of the rumors of Princess Sylvia’s sons. At once, he knew who the
babies were. He pitied the babies and took them in his own hut.
22
Anton named the babies Romulus and Remus. He brought
them up as peasants. But Romulus and Remus did not look like
peasants. They grew up tall and strong. They carried themselves
like royalty. But they were also rough and wild. They went about
the countryside looking after the cattle of King Amulius.
Did the babies survive? How? Did Romulus and Remus

know who they were? How do you think they would find their real
identities?
Not far from Anton’s pasture lived Numitor, the real

23
grandfather of Romulus and Remus. Numitor, with his followers,

had his own cattle to tend. One day, there was a quarrel between
the servants of Amulius and Numitor. The servants from both
camps tried to steal cattle from each other. In the quarrel, Remus
was taken as prisoner and presented to Numitor.
33
24
Numitor looked at the tall, strong young man before him. The
young man was kingly and regal in his bearing. “The young man
could not be a peasant!” Numitor thought.
25
“Who are you? Who were your parents?”
26
“I don’t know who I am. My brother and I were brought up
by Anton, the herdsman. He raised us as his sons. But we do not
feel like his sons. Anton raised us with awe and reverence as if we
were not his sons.”
27
“Do you feel there were some secrets about your birth?” asked
Numitor.
28
“Yes! Once, Anton told us to take good care of an old basket.
Should he die, we must take that basket with us wherever we go.”

29
“Basket! What basket are you talking about? Were you and
your brother found inside the basket by the River of Tiber?”
30
Numitor was excited. He heard of the tale of Sylvia’s sons.
The rumor has passed from mouth to mouth. Princess Sylvia’s
two sons were left by the riverbank to drown. The babies survived
and were picked by a commoner.
31
By then a great noise was heard. A band of young men came
into Numitor’s place. And he saw an image of the young man
before him.
32
“Is he your brother?”
33
“Yes, he’s Romulus, my brother!”
34
It became clear to Romulus and Remus who they were. Anton,
the herdsman, came and recognized Numitor. Every piece of the
jigsaw puzzle fell into its proper place.
How did Romulus and Remus find their real identities?

Why did Remus feel he was not Anton’s son? What would Romulus
and Remus do?
35
Remus and Romulus called the herdsmen of the two camps.
They called upon the people to put the rightful king to the throne.
The herdsmen called upon the people in the village. They heard of
the tale of Sylvia’s sons. They all went to the city of Alba, attacked
the palace, and killed Amulius and freed Sylvia.
36
The brothers went to Numitor in the pasture.
37
“Grandfather, come now to the city. Be the king of Alba as
you should have been.”
34
38
“I am old. The new king of Alba should either be you or
Remus.”
39
“No, Grandfather! The city of Alba is your kingdom. Remus and
I will go farther off and build another city, one which we will rule.”
What did Remus and Romulus do? What happened to Numitor?

Would Remus and Romulus be able to build another city?
40
And so Romulus and Remus went farther into the hills. They
started to build another city as beautiful as Alba. But Romulus and
Remus quarreled just like Amulius and Numitor many years ago.
They quarreled about how to build the city and where to build it.
41
Romulus and his followers marked the place where the wall
of the city should be built. His men dug the soil and made a ditch.
Remus and his followers came and mocked the men who were
working.
42
“Are these walls of the new city? Why! Men could leap over
them like this.”
43
And Remus jumped over the ditch into the midst of Romulus’s
men. One of Romulus’s men was quick.
44
And he struck a hard blow at Remus with his spear. Remus
fell down dead.
45
Romulus cried out in grief when he saw Remus bloodied. He
was so unhappy, he tried to kill himself.
46
His followers stopped him. They said, “Romulus, let us build
the city of Rome. Let us build it for you and your brother.”
47
When ditches were dug, the people threw a little of everything
that grew in the land. They threw olive and corn, grapes, flowers,
and green blades of grass. Each man brought a handful of soil
from his own f ield and threw it too. So the city walls of Rome were
built upon the best of everything that was in Italy.
Were Romulus and Remus able to build their own city? What
happened? How were the lives of the grandsons the same as their
grandfathers’? How did Romulus feel? How was the city of Rome
built? Where do you think Rome got its name according to the
story? How should brothers treat each other? What is the message
of the story?
—Adapted from Young Power in English 6
35
Looking Back
Directions: Recall the story and complete the story-structure

chart below.
Story-Structure Chart
Title
Author
Setting
Characters
Events 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Message
36
Sharpening Skills
Choosing the Most Appropriate Outcome

Choosing or telling what event will happen next is a kind of
sequencing. If you can do this, you can understand a story better.
Example: May was babysitting for Mrs. Reyes. May was

reading a book and did not notice it was time to
feed the baby boy. When the baby woke up, he

began crying loudly.
What happened next? May prepared some milk for the baby.
Directions: Read each of the following short paragraphs. Then

choose the most appropriate outcome based on the story you just
read. Put a check mark (ü) before your answer.
1. The kingdom of Alba had two treasures. When the king died,
he left two sons—Amulius and Numitor.
____ The people elected a replacement for the king.
____ Amulius and Numitor divided the treasures.
2. Amulius paid some soldiers to f ight for him. His soldiers

drove Numitor out of the city.
____ Numitor was held captive by his brother.
____ Numitor lived outside of the city.
3. Princess Sylvia, Numitor’s daughter, was held prisoner by

King Amulius. She bore two healthy sons.
____ King Amulius ordered that Sylvia and his sons be put
to death.
____ Numitor’s soldiers came to save his daughter.
4. King Amulius ordered his servant to take the babies away

and cast them into the River of Tiber.
____ The servant obeyed the king.
____ The king changed his plan.
37
5. The servant put the babies in a basket. When he got to
the river, the water was high. There was a strong current.
He was afraid to go near the deep part of the river.
____ He brought the basket instead to the jungle.
____ He put the basket just near the shallow bank.
6. The currents of the river f loated the basket away and brought
it in a pleasant grove. A big bird looked down on the babies
inside the basket. A big gray mother wolf came near the
basket and looked at the babies.
____ The babies woke up and were hungry.
____ The big gray mother wolf devoured the babies.
7. Anton, one of King Amulius’s herdsmen, came upon the

riverbank. He saw the basket and the two babies.
____ He killed the babies, remembering King Amulius’s
orders.
____ He pitied the babies and took them in his own hut.
8. Anton named the babies Romulus and Remus. They were

raised as peasants. They grew up tall and strong.
____ They went about the countryside looking after the cattle
of King Amulius.
____ They quarreled over many things.
9. There was a quarrel between the servants of Amulius and

Numitor. The servants from both camps tried to steal cattle
from each other. Remus was taken prisoner and presented
to Numitor.
____ Numitor accused Remus of stealing cattle and was
ordered to be punished.
____ Numitor doubted that the young man before him was
a peasant.
10. Romulus and Remus found out their true identities. They
called upon the people to put the rightful king to the throne.
The herdsmen called upon the people in the village.
____ They attacked the palace, killed Amulius, and freed
Sylvia.
____ They ignored what they heard and continued
recognizing Amulius as their king.
38
Using Context Clues/a Dictionary
You have learned how to expand your vocabulary through
context clues and through the use of a dictionary. You have
also learned that a dictionary is a book which lists words of a
language—usually in alphabetical order—and gives the spelling,
pronunciation, meanings, and often, information about the words’
origin and usage.
Directions: In column B are words taken from the selection.

Match each word with its dictionary meaning in column A. Write
on the line the letter of the correct answer.
A B
_____ 1. having little depth a. commoner
_____ 2. honor or respect shown b. ditch
_____ 3. to laugh at scornfully
c. dungeon
_____ 4. a person of low social status
_____ 5. a person not of noble rank d. mock
_____ 6. land or plot used for grazing e. pasture
_____ 7. sympathetic sorrow for one’s
f. peasant
suffering
_____ 8. a close, dark, usually g. pity
underground prison h. reverence
_____ 9. to work by plowing, sowing,
i. shallow
and raising crops
_____ 10. a long narrow excavation in the j. till
earth
Syllabicating Words
A syllable is a unit of spoken language. Correct syllabication
helps in the improvement of writing and spelling skills.
To syllabicate words in end lines, use a hyphen.
Example: treasure = treas-ure (this word has two syllables)
Directions: Read each of the following words silently. Write

their syllabication in the f irst line and the number of syllables in
the second line. You may use a dictionary.
1. beautiful
2. fertile
39
3. healthy
4. followers
5. recognize
6. puzzle
7. identify
8. another
9. unhappy
10. everything
Using a Dictionary
A dictionary is a reference book containing words alphabetically
arranged along with information about their forms, pronunciations,
functions, origin, meanings, and syntactical or idiomatic uses.
Example:
abandon\ 'ban-d n\ vt. to give up completely
[Middle French abandoner, from a bandon
“in one’s power”]
A. Directions: Look at the dictionary entry below and answer

the questions that follow. Write your answer on the line.
revenge \ri -'venj\ vt. 1. to inf lict injury in return

2. to avenge for a wrong done
[Middle French revengier] syn.
see avenge
1. What is the meaning of the word?

2. What is the use or function of the word?

3. In what syllable is the word accented?

4. What is the origin of the word?

5. What is the synonym of the word?

40
B. Directions: Look up the word reconcile in the dictionary.
Then provide the following information. Write your answer
on the line.
1. meaning
2. function or use
3. origin
4. transcription or guide to pronunciation

5. synonym
Performance Task
Making a Children’s Storybook

Pretend you are an aspiring writer. You are going to write a
simple story about the beginning of a place. Use your imagination.
Create your own character, your beginning of action, middle
of action, end of action, and solution to the problem. Provide
illustrations for the cover and inside pages. Use an interesting
title. Make your storybook appropriate for little children to read.

Category 3 2 1 Score
Cover Title and illustration Title and illustration Title and illustration
on cover clearly clearly relate to the are poorly done or
relate to the story story. do not relate to the
and entice readers story.
to pick up the book.
Illustrations The illustrations The illustrations The illustrations
help present the plot help present the help present the plot
throughout all areas plot in a majority of in only a minority
in the work. areas throughout of areas throughout
the work. the work.
41
Text The font and The font and The font and
legibility of the text legibility of the text legibility of the
do not interfere interfere with but text interfere with
with or disrupt do not disrupt the and disrupt the
communication of communication of communication of
ideas to the reader ideas to the reader. ideas to the reader.
in any area of the
work.
Plot All five areas of the One of the five Two or more of the
develop- plot (exposition, areas of the plot five areas of the plot
ment rising action, (exposition, rising (exposition, rising
climax, falling action, climax, action, climax,
action, and falling action, falling action, and

resolution) are and resolution) is resolution) are
present and are not present and/ not present and/
clearly developed. or is not clearly or are not clearly
developed. developed.
Total Score /12
42
LESSON
5
Getting Ready
Look at the picture below. What do you think is the old

woman looking for? What is the man about to say to her?
What do you think the two gifts are in the story and for whom
would these be? Read to know the answers.
Vocabulary Alert
burly garret haunted repented plaintive

The Two Gifts

by Lilian Gask
1
A heavy snowstorm was raging, and great soft f lakes
fell through the air like feathers shaken from the wings of an
innumerable host of angels. By the side of the roadway sat a poor
old woman, her scanty clothing affording but poor protection from
43
the icy blast of the wind. She was very hungry, for she had tasted
no food that day but her faded eyes were calm and patient, telling
of an unwavering trust in Providence. Perhaps, she thought, some
traveler might come that way who would take compassion on her,
and give her alms; then she could return to the garret that she
called “home,” with bread to eat, and fuel to kindle a f ire.
Who sat by the side of the roadway? Describe the woman.

Would somebody see and help her?
2
The day drew in, and still she sat and waited. At last a
traveler approached. The thick snow muff led every sound, and
she was not aware of his coming until his burly f igure loomed
before her. Her plaintive voice made him turn with a start.
3
“Poor woman,” he cried, pausing to look at her very pityingly.
“It is hard for you to be out in such weather as this.” Then he
passed on, without giving her anything; his conscience told him
that he ought to have relieved her, but he did not feel inclined to
take off his thick glove in that bitter cold, and without doing this
he could not have found a coin.
Did somebody see her? Who was he? What did he do? Do you
think another traveler would see her?
4
The poor woman was naturally disappointed, but she was
grateful for his kind words. By and by another traveler appeared.
This one was driving a splendid carriage, warmly wrapped in a
great fur cloak. As he caught sight of the poor creature by the
roadside, he felt vaguely touched by the contrast of his own comfort
with her misery. Obeying a sudden impulse, with one hand he let
down the carriage window and signed to his coachman to stop,
and with the other felt his pocket. The poor old woman hurried
up to the carriage, a thrill of hope bringing a tinge of color to her
pale and withered cheeks.
5
“How terribly cold it is!” exclaimed the rich man, and as
he took his hand from his pocket, and held out a coin to her, he
noticed that instead of silver he was about to give her a piece of
gold.
6
“Dear me! That is far too much,” he cried, but before he could
return it to his pocket, the coin slipped through his f ingers, and
44
fell in the snow. A rough blast of wind made his teeth chatter, and
pulling up the window in great hurry, with a little shiver he drew
the fur rug closely round him.
7
“It certainly was too much,” he murmured philosophically, as
the carriage rolled on, “but then I am very rich, and can afford to
do a generous action now and then.”
8
When his comfortable dinner was over, and he was sitting in
front of a blazing f ire, he thought once more of the poor old woman.
9
“It is not nearly so cold as I thought,” he remarked as he settled
himself more comfortably in his deep armchair. “I certainly gave
that old creature too much. However, what’s done is done, and I
hope she will make good use of it. I was generous, very generous
indeed, and no doubt God will reward me.”
10
Meanwhile the other traveler had also reached his journey’s
end; and he too, had found a blazing f ire and good dinner awaiting
him. He could not enjoy it, however, for he was haunted by the
remembrance of that bent and shrunken f igure in the waste of
snow, and felt very remorseful for not having stopped to help her.
At last he could bear it no longer.
Did another traveler see her? Describe the traveler. What did he
do? What did he feel about what he had done? What happened to
the first traveler? What do you think he would do next?
11
“Bring another plate,” he said, calling the servant to him.
“There will be two to dine instead of one. I shall be back soon.”
12
Saying this, he hurried through the darkness to the spot
where he had left the old woman; she was still there, feebly
searching amongst the snow.
13
“What are you looking for?” he asked.
14
“I am trying to f ind a piece of money, which a gentleman
threw me from his carriage window,” she told him falteringly,
scarcely able to speak from cold and hunger. It was no wonder,
he thought, that she had not found it, for her hands were numbed
and half frozen, and she was not only cold but nearly blind.
15
“I am afraid you will never f ind it now,” he said. “But come
with me,” he added consolingly, “I will take you to my inn, where
there is a bright f ire and a good dinner waiting for both of us.
You shall be my guest, and I will see that you have a comfortable
night’s lodging.”
45
What did the first traveler do? What did he find the old woman
doing? What did he offer the old woman? Do you think the poor
woman accepted the offer?
16
The poor old woman could scarcely believe her good fortune,
as she tremblingly prepared to follow her new friend. Noticing
that she was lame as well as nearly blind, he took her arm, and
with slow and patient steps led her to the hotel.
17
When the recording angel wrote that night in the Book
of Heaven, he made no mention of the piece of gold which the
wealthy traveler had given by mistake, for only a worthy motive
gains credit in that book; but amidst the good deeds that had been
wrought that day, he gave a foremost place to that of the man who
had repented his hardness, and faced once more the bitter cold
that he might share his comforts with a fellow creature so much
less fortunate than himself.
46
Did the woman join the first traveler? What did the traveler
have for the woman? What were the two gifts? Who between the
two travelers gained credit in the Book of Heaven? Why? What
message does the story have? Which is better in the eyes of the
Lord—a grand intention or a small good deed? Why?
Looking Back
Directions: Recall the key events in the story and complete the
story map below. The f irst one has been done for you.
On the Road
6.
4.
2.
7.
5.
3.
1. An old woman sits by the side of a

roadway during a heavy snowstorm.
47
Sharpening Skills
Identifying Characters’ Emotional Response

Characters in a story are the people or animals that have
roles or parts in a selection. They show their feelings by what
they say or do. They are sometimes happy, sad, terrified, excited,
or surprised. Understanding the characters’ emotions or feelings
helps you comprehend the story better.
Directions: Read what each character said or did. Then decide

how the character felt in each item. Choose your answer from the
box. You may use a word more than once. Write your answer on
the line provided.
proud generous worried

caring kind self ish
concerned sympathetic surprised
1. “Poor woman,” the first traveler cried. “It is hard for you to be
out in such weather as this.”
2. “How terribly cold it is!” exclaimed the rich man as he held
out a coin to the woman.
3. “Dear me! That is far too much,” the rich man cried when he
found out he was giving her a piece of gold.
4. “It certainly was too much,” he murmured, “but then I am
very rich, and can afford to do a generous action now and
then.”
5. “I certainly gave that old creature too much. I was generous,
very generous indeed, and no doubt God will reward me,”
said the rich man.
6. “Bring another plate,” the f irst traveler said, calling the
servant to him. “There will be two to dine instead of one.
I shall be back soon.”
7. “What are you looking for?” asked the f irst traveler.
8. “I am trying to f ind a piece of money, which a gentleman

threw me from his carriage window,” she told him falteringly.
48
9. “I am afraid you will never f ind it now,” he said.
10. “I will take you to my inn, where there is a bright f ire and
good dinner waiting for both of us. You shall be my guest, and
I will see that you have a comfortable night’s lodging,” said
the traveler.
Using Dictionary Clues

By this time you must have tried looking up meanings of words
from dictionaries. Do you think you already have mastery of the
skill? Using the dictionary in locating the meaning of words is a skill
necessary to enrich your vocabulary.
Directions: In column B are words from the story you just read.
Match each word with its dictionary meaning in column A. Write
the letter of your answer on the line before each number.
A B
1. magnif icent a. blaze
2. barely enough b. carriage
3. an intensely burning f ire c. falter
4. marked by a deep regret d. garret
5. a horse-drawn vehicle e. innumerable
6. lost vitality and freshness f. numb
7. too many to be numbered g. remorseful
8. to stumble or hesitate h. scanty

in speech
i. splendid
9. a room or unf inished part
j. withered
of a house under a roof
k. sturdy
10. lacking in sensation
especially as a result of cold
or anesthesia
Syllabicating Multisyllabic Words

You have learned that words may be divided into smaller
parts called syllables. These are called multisyllabic words.
Multisyllablic words are words that have many syllables.
49
Directions: Syllabicate each word. Write the syllables on the
first line and the number of syllables on the second line.
1. philosophically
2. unwavering
3. pityingly
4. consolingly
5. noticeable
6. unfortunately
7. remembering
8. falteringly
9. unsolicited
10. unconsciousness
Using the Encyclopedia

An encyclopedia is a book or a set of books that contains
factual articles about different subjects. An encyclopedia comes
in many volumes. The volume number follows the letters of
the alphabet.
Directions: Below is a set of encyclopedia. Read each question

that follows and answer it.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
A B C D E F G H I J K L
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
M N O P Q R S T U V W X
1. In what volume can you read about snowstorms?
2. In what volume can you read about types of carriages?
3. Will you f ind something about conscience in volume 5?
4. Will you f ind something about bread in volume 2?
50
5. Gold is metal. Will you find something about gold in
volume 13?
6. Will you f ind information about silver in volume 13?
7. In what volume will you f ind institutions for old and

helpless women?
8. In what volume will you f ind out something about

heaven?
9. Can you read about angels in volume 1?

10. Will you f ind the biography of Lilian Gask in volume 7?
Performance Task
Writing a Diamond Poem

It’s Digital Poetry Reading and Writing Week, and you are
assigned as the class representative in a poetry writing contest.
You are going to write a diamond poem about any of the subjects.
You may write about your grandmother, grandfather, a best friend,
a teacher, or a classmate. After you have written your poem, post it
on any social networking site and gather several likes for a week.
Follow the pattern below.
Line 1: Name of the subject
Line 2: Two words describing the subject
Line 3: Three qualities of the subject
Line 4: Four words describing the subject all ending in –ing
Focus The entire Most of the Some of No attempt
on the poem is poem is the poem has been
assigned related to the related to is related to made to relate
topic assigned topic the assigned the assigned the poem to
and allows topic, but topic, but a the assigned
the reader to the reader reader does topic.
understand can still learn not learn
much more something much about
about the about the the topic.
topic. topic.
51
Poetic The poem The poem The poem No evidence
quality uses a lot uses some uses a few of rhyming
of rhyming rhyming words rhyming words and
words and and figures of words and figures of
figures of speech. figures of speech.
speech. speech.
Pattern Poem follows Poem follows Poem follows Poem barely
what is only what is only what is followed the
required in required in six required in five line require-
each of the lines. lines. ments.
seven lines.
Total Score /12
52
LESSON
6
Getting Ready
Read the title of the story. What do you think the

title means? What is pride? Share an instance when
you showed pride. Read the story and find out.
Vocabulary Alert
cubit breadth plundered

pride notorious commenced
Pride Goes Before a Fall

by Joseph Jacobs
1
In a certain village there lived ten cloth merchants who
always went about together. Once upon a time they had traveled
far af ield, and were returning home with a great deal of money
which they had obtained by selling their wares. Now there
happened to be a dense forest near their village, and this they
reached early one morning. In it there lived three notorious
robbers, of whose existence the traders had never heard, and
53
while they were still in the middle of it, the robbers stood before
them, with swords and cudgels in their hands, and ordered
them to lay down all they had. The traders had no weapons with
them, and so, though they were many more in number, they had
to submit themselves to the robbers, who took away everything
from them, even the very clothes they wore, and gave to each
only a small loin cloth a span in breadth and a cubit in length.
Who lived in a certain village? Where did they go? What

happened to them? Would they be able to save themselves? How?
Read on.
2
The idea that they had conquered ten men and plundered all
their property now took possession of the robbers’ minds. They
seated themselves like three monarchs before the men they had
plundered, and ordered them to dance to them before returning
home. The merchants now mourned their fate.
3
They had lost all they had, except their loin cloth, and still
the robbers were not satisf ied, but ordered them to dance.
Were the merchants saved? What did the robbers tell them to
do? Would they obey the robbers? Read on.
4
There was, among the ten merchants, one who was very
clever. He pondered over the calamity that had come upon him
and his friends, the dance they would have to perform, and
the magnif icent manner in which the three robbers had seated
themselves on the grass. At the same time he observed that these
last had placed their weapons on the ground, in the assurance of
having thoroughly cowed the traders, who were now commencing
to dance. So he took the lead in the dance and, as a song is always
sung by the leader on such occasions, to which the rest keep time
with hands and feet, he thus began to sing:
5
We are enty men,
They are erith men:
If each erith man
Surround eno men,
Eno man remains,
Ta, tai, tom, tadingana.
54
Did the merchants obey the robbers? What did they do?
What plan did they have to outwit the robbers? Will they make
it? Read and find out.
6
The robbers were all uneducated, and thought that the leader
was merely singing a song as usual. So it was in one sense: for
the leader commenced from a distance, and had sung the song
over twice before he and his companions commenced to approach
the robbers. They had understood his meaning, because they had
been trained in trade.
7
When two traders discuss the price of an article in the
presence of a purchaser, they use a riddling sort of language.
8
“What is the price of this cloth?” one trader will ask another.
9
“Enty rupees,” another will reply, meaning “ten rupees.”
10
Thus, there is no possibility of the purchaser knowing what is
meant unless he be acquainted with trade language. By the rules
of this secret language erith means “three,” enty means “ten,” and
eno means “one.” So the leader by his song meant to hint his fellow
traders that they were ten men, the robbers only three, that if
three pounced upon each of the robbers, nine of them could hold
them down, while the remaining one bound the robbers’ hands
and feet.
11
The three thieves, glorifying in their victory, and having
little understanding of the meaning of the song and the intentions
of the dancers, were proudly seated chewing betel and tobacco.
Meanwhile the song was sung a third time. Ta, tai tom had left
the lips of the singer, and before tadingana was out of them, the
traders separated into parties of three, and each party pounced
upon a thief. The remaining one—the leader himself tore up into
long narrow strips a large piece of cloth, six cubits long, and tied
the hands and feet of the robbers. They were entirely humbled
now, and rolled on the ground like three bags of rice!
Did the merchants make it? How? What happened to the

robbers? Where would the merchants go after the incident?
55
12
The ten traders now took back all their property, and armed
themselves with the swords and cudgels of their enemies; and
when they reached their village, they often amused their friends
and relatives by relating their adventures.
Where did the merchants go? How did the village people react to
their story? What happens when there is too much pride in a person?
On the other hand, what does humility bring to a person? What does
the title of the selection mean? Did you guess correctly?
Looking Back
Directions: Supply the missing important events in the story.

Write your answer on the lines. The first and last events have
been done for you.
1. The ten merchants reached a dense forest near their village.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. They recovered their wares and returned home.
56
Sharpening Skills
Identifying Elements of a Story

A story has common elements: setting, characters, plot, and
the theme, message, or lesson. Setting tells where and when the
story happens. Characters are the persons in the story. Plot is
the series of events. Theme is the meaning or concept that the
story centers on. The plot has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
When you can identify these elements, you can understand the
story well.
Directions: Read each sentence. Identify what element of the

story is being referred to. Write S for setting, C for characters, or
T for theme. If your answer is plot, indicate B for beginning, M for
middle, and E for end. Write your answer on the lines.
1. One day, ten cloth merchants were in a dense forest.

2. While there, three robbers stood before them.
3. The ten cloth merchants were ordered to dance.
4. The traders separated into parties and each party
pounced upon a thief.
5. The robbers had their hands and feet tied and were
rolled on the ground.
6. The ten merchants lived in a certain village.
7. There were ten merchants and three robbers.
8. The story happened a long time ago.
9. Never underestimate people.
10. Mischief begets mischief.
Using Context Clues

When you use context clues in learning the meaning of a word,
you read the words near or around it and then derive its meaning
from them, or from the context.
57
Examples:
1. The heavy rain muffles the loud music in the bedroom;
that is why the baby’s sleep remains undisturbed.
2. Unlike the easy-to-carry bags with handles, the boxes

were not exactly heavy, just cumbersome.
Which word in example 1 means “to deaden the sound of”

or “to keep down”? The word muff le means “to keep down.”
In example 2, cumbersome can be f igured out from its

antonym, easy-to-carry.
Directions: Read each item carefully. Then read the meaning in

the box below each sentence. Underline the word in the sentence
which comes closest to the given meaning.
1. The three notorious robbers lived in a dense forest.
marked by compactness or crowding together of parts
2. The robbers always had swords and cudgels in their hands.
a short heavy club
3. One day, they conquered ten men and plundered all their
property.
robbed especially openly or by force
4. One of the merchants pondered over the calamity that had

come upon them.
considered carefully
5. The three robbers sat on the grass in a magnif icent manner.
having grandeur and beauty
6. The merchants were acquainted with a particular trade

language.
made familiar
7. Among the ten, one was very clever.
quick in learning things
58
8. The leader tore up into long, narrow strips a large piece of
cloth and tied the hands and feet of the robbers.
of slender length
9. The merchants had sung the riddling song over twice before
they commenced to approach the robbers.
to bring or start
10. When the merchants reached their village, they amused their
friends and relatives by relating their adventure.
entertained or occupied with something pleasant
Alphabetizing to the Fourth or Fifth Letter

Alphabetizing words is arranging words according to the
sequence of the letters of the alphabet. If the first letters are the
same, look at the second letters. If the second letters are the same,
look at the third or fourth or fifth, and so on and so forth.
Directions: Alphabetize the following sets of words. Write

numbers 1 to 4 on the lines.
1. weapon 6. property
weaken prophage
weary propriety
weakling prophecy
2. clean 7. presence
clearance president
clever presume
cleavage pressure
3. _____ price 8. calamity

pride calamus
prime calabash
prick calash
59
4. before 9. adventure
befit adverse
befall adventitious
befriend adverb
5. meaning 10. magnif icent

meander magnify
meanwhile magnitude
meanly magnif ico
Using a Card Catalog

To find out what books a library has and where they are kept,
you can use the library’s card catalog. The card catalog contains
one or more cards for every library book. The cards are kept in
drawers, and the drawers are marked with letters to show which
cards they hold. You can look up any book by subject, by title, or
by author’s last name. Knowing how to use the card catalog will
help you locate a book easily.
Directions: Drawers of a card catalog are shown below. Write

the number of the drawer that contains a card for each item.
1 2 3
fa—fo ja—jo ma—my
4 5 6
pa—pr ra—ru ta—to
60
1. a book about merchants
2. books about forests
3. a book on tobacco
4. a book about the rupee
5. a book written by Joseph Jacobs
6. books about pride
7. a book about robberies

8. a book about tents
9. book of tales
10. a book about pastries
Performance Task
Writing and Performing a Street Rhyme or Rap

Imagine you are one of the characters in the story and you
would like to remind your friends about the importance of humility.
Write a street rhyme or a rap with a group of friends about being
humble. Perform it afterward in the class. It must not be longer
than three minutes or shorter than two minutes. Document your
performance with a video or some pictures. Remember that a street
rhyme or a rap is a form of poetry that is spoken rhythmically to
the accompaniment of musical instruments.
Lyrics The song lyrics The song lyrics are The song lyrics
are outstanding. good. The words are not coherent.
The song centered are memorable. The The words are not
wholly on the song partly centered memorable and
assigned theme. on the assigned not centered on the
theme. theme.
61
Originality The song and the The lyrics of the The lyrics of the
tune are original. song are original song are partly
but the tune follows original and the tune
a familiar tune. followed a familiar
tune.
Audience The writer The writer demon- The writer demon-
demonstrates a strates a general strate little sense
clear sense of sense of audience of audience and
audience and uses and uses some does not adjust the
the appropriate vocabulary for that vocabulary for that
vocabulary for that audience. audience.
audience.
Total Score /9
62

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unit 1 Remembering and Caring

lesson 1 Woodman, Spare That Tree .............................. 2

lesson 2 Mysteries of Nature ........................................... 11

lesson 3 The Wonderful Hair ........................................... 22

lesson 4 The City of Rome ................................................ 30

lesson 6 Pride Goes Before a Fall ................................... 53

Using a Card Catalog........................................... 60

unit 2 Coping with Changes and Pride

lesson 2 Mulan—One Smart Girl .................................... 75

lesson 3 The Princess and the ? ...................................... 84

lesson 5 Become What You Want to Be .......................... 106

Identifying Onomatopeia ..................................... 112

lesson 6 The Little Match Girl ......................................... 115

unit 3 Exploring Messages

lesson 2 After Twenty Years ............................................. 140

lesson 4 A Wish About Freckles ....................................... 163

Using General Reference Materials .................... 174

lesson 5 The Blue Lady...................................................... 177

lesson 6 The Mad Woman ................................................. 191

unit 4 Understanding the Uncommon

lesson 3 The Giving Tree................................................... 222

Identifying Different Forms

lesson 4 The Leopard Man’s Story.................................. 230

lesson 5 Johnny’s Magic Lunch Box .............................. 240

lesson 6 The Mystery of the Tobacco Shed ................... 251

Glossary ......................................................................................... 261

been carefully chosen to meet the interests and needs of modern-

Blue Lady”; and “Johnny’s Magic Lunchbox”; The Philippine Journal of

Every effort has been made to request for permission to reprint

What will make something worth remembering? Will it be an

Trees are of absolute importance but, sad to say, many

cot hew spare bough renown

Woodman, Spare That Tree

Thy axe shall harm it not.

A. Directions: Answer the following questions orally.

B. Directions: Read the poem again and identify the lines

Lines meant for the woodman

Identifying Cause and Effect

5. If the government totally stops illegal logging, then landslides

Recognizing Rhyming Words

Woodman, spare that tree!

Tree and me are rhyming words.

Understanding Words with Multiple Meanings

Example: shade a. a color or hue

Which do you think between the two is the meaning of shade

Directions: Determine the meaning of each word below as it is used

Identifying Parts of a Book

A. Directions: Read each item carefully. Identify which part of

solitude especially for religious reasons

B. Directions: Using your knowledge about the different parts

Delivering a Speech to Convince

from a nearby school. Your speech should be clear, purposeful, and

Name: ___________________ Date: _______ Section: ___________

ness completely prepared but somewhat seem at all

Read the title of the selection. What is a mystery?

Name: _______________ Date: _ Section: _________

Name: _______________ Date: _ Section: _________