NAME _________________________________________ DATE ____________________________

Typhoid Mary

Sick people are usually treated

kindly. We try to heal them and ease
“TYPHOID MARY”
their troubles. There was a time, however, The extraordinary
when certain illnesses were dealt with as

quarantine ward.

From 1900 to 1910, typhoid fever was

a leading cause of death in the United
States. Doctors knew it was caused by
bacteria, and they knew the bacteria

to stop it. That lack of knowledge and the

many fatalities caused widespread fear.

Typhoid fever presented a special

problem. The bacteria—salmonella
Several members of the household had
typhi—was picked up through direct
contracted the disease.
contact not only with someone who was
sick, but also with someone who had
recovered. Seemingly healthy people
could be carrying the germ and still pass took a false name and continued to hire
it on. They often spread the disease by
handling food.
she could be spreading disease. In fact,

York from Ireland. She is the first known

at least 53 people with typhoid fever.
typhoid carrier in the United States.
Three of these people died of the disease.

she still carried the bacteria. To make the

a threat to public health. When they
tracked her down, they arrested her. She
assigned to the case. He traced several was imprisoned in a New York hospital.

been working for a Long Island family. death more than 20 years later.

Reading Comprehension—Nonfiction 2 95
NAME _________________________________________ DATE ____________________________

Typhoid Mary (page 2)

COMPREHENSION: Circle a letter. SYNONYMS: Draw a line to make each match.

1. Typhoid Mary was a 1. sympathy a. caught
a. battleship. 2. contracted b. deaths
b. cook from Ireland. 3. bacteria c. germ
c. New York health worker. 4. fatalities d. understanding
2. Typhoid is a 5. threat e. danger
a. contagious disease.
AUTHOR’S VIEWPOINT
b. Irish stew.
c. New York prison.
Poor Mary panicked and fled.

because she 1. How do you think the author feels

a. poisoned a family.

c. continued to spread typhoid. ____________________________________

2. What makes you think so?

a. died in prison.
b. returned to her cooking job. ____________________________________
c. returned to Ireland.
WORD ANALYSIS

NOTING DETAILS 1. The prefix im- can mean “not” or it can

1. During what years was typhoid fever mean “in, into.” What does im- mean
in the word imprisoned?

2. What is the scientific name of the 2. Write another word from the article
typhoid bacteria? that has the prefix im-. What does this
word mean?

3. Who traced the outbreak of typhoid ___________________________________

PICK A PROJECT: Work on the back of this sheet.

____________________________________ Check an encyclopedia to find out how

your findings.
have infected? What disease causes panic and great fear
today? Why is this illness so frightening?

96 Reading Comprehension—Nonfiction 2
 ANSWER KEY
AGAINST THE ODDS: ATHLETES POK-A-TOK: MAYAN
WHO WOULDN’T QUIT, page 1 SPORT OF THE GODS, page 7
COMPREHENSION COMPREHENSION

NOTING DETAILS NOTING DETAILS

CHARACTER STUDY
YOUR OPINION, PLEASE
LOOK IT UP!

obstacle:
the ball
grueling: SYNONYMS
VOCABULARY
ANTONYMS
SYNONYMS OR ANTONYMS?
LOOK IT UP!

hieroglyphics:
FINGERPRINTS, page 3
COMPREHENSION

MIRANDA RIGHTS: YOU HAVE

NOTING DETAILS
THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT, page 9
COMPREHENSION

PUTTING STEPS IN ORDER SUPPORTING DETAILS

SYNONYMS
FACT OR OPINION?

DRAWING CONCLUSIONS
SYNONYMS

WORD ANALYSIS

HUMMINGBIRDS:
FASCINATING FEATHERED FRIENDS, page 3
COMPREHENSION WHAT’S THE TRUTH
ABOUT THE COMMON COLD? page 11
NOTING DETAILS COMPREHENSION

YOUR OPINION, PLEASE

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

MAKING INFERENCES
LOOK IT UP!

SYNONYMS
virus:

Answer Key 101

 NOTING DETAILS

bacteria: at Blue Heaven

SYNONYMS

antibiotic:
LOOK IT UP!

stroke:
cerebral palsy:
NOTING DETAILS

CAUSE AND EFFECT

AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, page 17
COMPREHENSION

NOTING DETAILS

ANTONYMS
VOCABULARY

CONGRATULATIONS, CAPTAIN CLARK! page 13 ANTONYMS

COMPREHENSION
CAUSE AND EFFECT

NOTING DETAILS

DRAWING CONCLUSIONS

SYNONYMS

VOCABULARY IS IT ORGANIC? page 19

COMPREHENSION
MAKING INFERENCES
NOTING DETAILS
CAUSE AND EFFECT

READING A GRAPH
in 2000
SYNONYMS
THE HEALING POWER
OF HORSE THERAPY, page 15 YOUR OPINION, PLEASE
COMPREHENSION

EXAMPLES BATS: ECHOES IN THE NIGHT, page 21

COMPREHENSION

102 Answer Key

 NOTING DETAILS VOCABULARY

FACT OR OPINION?

VOCABULARY WORD ANALYSIS

BASE WORD = break; PREFIX = un-; SUFFIX = -able

YOUR OPINION, PLEASE

THE SENSE OF SMELL, page 29

SYNONYMS
COMPREHENSION

NOTING DETAILS
THE HISTORY OF THE FRISBEE, page 23
COMPREHENSION

VOCABULARY
NOTING DETAILS
ANTONYMS
WORD ANALYSIS
LOOK IT UP!

VOCABULARY molecules:
olfactory nerve:
SEQUENCING EVENTS

asthma:
SYNONYMS
YOUR OPINION, PLEASE

FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT FLIES, page 25

A GREAT MAN’S DREAM, page 31
COMPREHENSION
COMPREHENSION

NOTING DETAILS
NOTING DETAILS

VOCABULARY

SUMMARIZING
SUPPORTING DETAILS

DESCRIPTIVE WORDS
SHUTTERBUG, page 33
SYNONYMS COMPREHENSION

NOTING DETAILS
CODE TALKERS, page 27
COMPREHENSION

NOTING DETAILS SHORTENED WORD FORMS

Answer Key 103

 ANTONYMS BREAKING BARRIERS, page 39
COMPREHENSION

VOCABULARY
NOTING DETAILS

SYNONYMS

VOCABULARY

FLEA CIRCUSES, page 35 MAKING COMPARISONS

COMPREHENSION

NOTING DETAILS a Challenger

SYNONYMS OR ANTONYMS?

AUTHOR’S TONE

SYNONYMS OUR EXPENDABLE ORGANS, page 41

COMPREHENSION

WORD PLAY NOTING DETAILS

WORD ANALYSIS
VOCABULARY

-itis -ectomy
THE JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY, page 37
LOOK IT UP!
COMPREHENSION
expendable:
antibodies:
NOTING DETAILS
chanoyu RECOGNIZING CONTRASTS

DRAWING CONCLUSIONS

DRAWING CONCLUSIONS
WORD ANALYSIS

VOCABULARY

SYNONYMS TRAGEDY AT THE

TRIANGLE SHIRTWAIST FACTORY, page 43
SYMBOLS COMPREHENSION

NOTING DETAILS

DESCRIPTIVE WORDS

CAUSE AND EFFECT

104 Answer Key

 VOCABULARY READING A TABLE
shirtwaist:
INFERENCE
seamstress:

ordinances:
MOVIE CREDITS, page 51
COMPREHENSION
ERRONEOUS EYE-DEAS, page 45
COMPREHENSION
NOTING DETAILS

NOTING DETAILS
VOCABULARY

SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS

WORD ANALYSIS

WORD ANALYSIS
SYNONYMS

ANTONYMS
THE LAST GREAT RACE ON EARTH, page 53
COMPREHENSION

ALL THE WORLD LOVES A CLOWN, page 47

NOTING DETAILS
COMPREHENSION

BEGINS: ENDS:
NOTING DETAILS
DESCRIPTIVE WORDS

VOCABULARY
ANTONYMS

WORD ANALYSIS
JARGON

INFERENCE
WORD ANALYSIS

SUPPORTING DETAILS
WHYS AND WHEREFORES, page 55
jester fool COMPREHENSION

THE BONE-BUILDER, page 49 NOTING DETAILS

COMPREHENSION

VOCABULARY
NOTING DETAILS

INFERENCE
WORD ANALYSIS

LOOK IT UP!
LOOK IT UP!
calorie:
camouflage:

chimpanzee:

Answer Key 105

QUICKSAND, page 57 INFERENCE

COMPREHENSION

NOTING DETAILS

SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS

A MEMORABLE MOMENT
AT THE PLATE, page 63
COMPREHENSION
WORD ANALYSIS

NOTING DETAILS

LOOK IT UP!
viscous:
CHARACTERS
vacuum:
DO YOU REMEMBER?
VOCABULARY

DRAWING CONCLUSIONS
1/8
DRUMMER BOYS, page 59
COMPREHENSION
RATING THE BIG WINDS, page 65
COMPREHENSION
NOTING DETAILS
NOTING DETAILS

WORD ANALYSIS

CAUSE AND EFFECT

LOOK IT UP!
torrential:
intensity:

SOUND EFFECTS
ABBREVIATIONS

SYNONYMS
READING A CHART

MORE WHYS AND WHEREFORES, page 61

COMPREHENSION
FLESH-EATING FOLIAGE, page 67
NOTING DETAILS COMPREHENSION

NOTING DETAILS
COMPARISONS

CONTEXT CLUE SYNONYMS

polygraph:
SYNONYMS COMPARISONS

106 Answer Key

 ANTONYMS SUPPORTING DETAILS

WORD ANALYSIS

, page 69
COMPREHENSION
SOCRATES (469–399 B.C.), page 75
COMPREHENSION

NOTING DETAILS
NOTING DETAILS
The Exorcist Alien
LOOK IT UP!
VOCABULARY
exorcist:
alien:
SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS
COMPARISONS

VOCABULARY

DRAWING CONCLUSIONS
WORD ANALYSIS
wise dom
HOLIDAY WHYS AND WHEREFORES, page 71
COMPREHENSION GREYFRIAR’S BOBBY, page 77
COMPREHENSION
NOTING DETAILS
LABOR DAY: APRIL
FOOL’
S DAY: MOTHER’
S DAY: NOTING DETAILS

VOCABULARY
SYNONYMS
SYNONYMS
SUPPORTING DETAILS
DRAWING CONCLUSIONS

Hilaria

ABEBE BIKILA: THE Scotland

BAREFOOT OLYMPIAN, page 73
WORD ANALYSIS
COMPREHENSION

IN YOUR OPINION
DRAWING CONCLUSIONS

SYNONYMS
S O S, page 79
COMPREHENSION
NOTING DETAILS

NOTING DETAILS
SS Arapahoe SS Arapahoe

Answer Key 107

 CAUSE AND EFFECT THE LADY WITH THE LAMP, page 85
COMPREHENSION

NOTING DETAILS
SYNONYMS

LOOK IT UP!
satellite:
DRAWING CONCLUSIONS

patented:
SYNONYMS

SOME HAIR-RAISING INFORMATION page 81 IN YOUR OPINION

COMPREHENSION

THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH, page 87

NOTING DETAILS
COMPREHENSION

NOTING DETAILS

DESCRIPTIVE WORDS
SYNONYMS

VOCABULARY
WORD ANALYSIS

INFERENCES
VOCABULARY

STAR TREK’S LIEUTENANT UHURA page 83 SPY STORIES, page 89

COMPREHENSION COMPREHENSION

NOTING DETAILS
NOTING DETAILS

SHORT FORMS
SYNONYMS

Star Trek WORD ANALYSIS

LOOK IT UP!
NASA: LOOK IT UP!
espionage:
FACT OR OPINION communist:

ANTONYMS

108 Answer Key

LOOKING FOR YOURSELF? SOME FINAL WHYS AND
CHECK THE INTERNET, page 91 WHEREFORES, page 97
COMPREHENSION COMPREHENSION

PUTTING DETAILS IN ORDER NOTING DETAILS

VOCABULARY
USING CONTEXT CLUES

SYNONYMS trachea:
lungs
esophagus:
INFERENCE

epiglottis:

HANDLING STRESS, page 93

COMPREHENSION SYNONYMS

SUPPORTING DETAILS SUPPORTING DETAILS

SYNONYMS OR ANTONYMS?

CONTEXT CLUES
stress:
FLYING DOCTORS:
serotonin: HELP IS ON THE WAY! page 99
COMPREHENSION

CAUSE AND EFFECT

NOTING DETAILS

TYPHOID MARY, page 95

COMPREHENSION
hospitals
NOTING DETAILS SYNONYMS
salmonella typhi
ANTONYMS
SYNONYMS

AUTHOR’S VIEWPOINT

WORD ANALYSIS

Answer Key 109