Cultivated

delicacies
flakes
foodstuff
flour
starch
cassava

Cassava is known locally as the “balinghoy” or “camoteng kahoy”. The plant grows wild in many
places. In some areas, cassava is planted and cultivated like other useful food plants.

From the roots of the cassava plant we can get food products. The bark of the roots is first
removed and what remains can be directly boiled and eaten. Sometimes, flakes are made from the roots
and made into delicacies. The most important product from the roots is cassava flour which is made into
bread, cookies, bijon, mique, misua, and laundry starch. During the war years, cassava was an important
foodstuff of the Filipinos.

QUESTIONS:

1. What is the selection about?

a. The importance of cassava
b. How to grow cassava
c. How to prepare cassava
2. Which is a good tittle for the selection?
a. Eating cassava b. planting cassava c. cassava plants
3. Which sentence is true according to the selection?
a. Cassava is the staple food of the Filipinos.
b. Cassava is poisonous.
c. Cassava was an important food of the Filipinos during the war years.

Devoted
chastity
renounce
depositories
dormitory
abbest
A monastery is a religious home for a community of men or women devoted to a service
of God. The men are called monks, and their head is abbot. The women are called nuns, and
their head is an abbest. St Anthony of France was the first monk.
Monasteries are important depositories of knowledge. Here, the early monks kept
records of Greek and Roman civilization. A monastery includes a school, a church, dormitory, a
library, a kitchen, and a guest house. Inside monks care the sick and teach in school. They write,
copy, preserve books. To be a monk, one has to renounce wealth, worldly ambition, and make
vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

QUESTIONS:

1. What is the selection all about?

a. Priests and parishes b. brothers and sisters c. monks and monasteries
2. What is a monastery?
a. a social organization of men and women
b. a school for boys and girls.
c. A home for religious community of men and women devoted to the service of
God.
3. What must one do to be a monk?
a. Wear a monk’s habit. B. pray all the time. C. renounce wealth and
wordy ambition and make vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

Tubers
Buds
Fleshy
Wilt

Potatoes are probably the most popular of all vegetables in the world. We eat
them baked, boiled, mashed, fired, and as potato chips and French-fried potatoes.
Potatoes grow in the ground as tubers. Tubers are not parts of the roots of the
plant, but are fleshy thickened underground stems.
The potato is not usually grown from seeds but from pieces of potato which have
eyes or buds. To potatoes, the farmer carefully plants pieces of potato, each containing
at least one eye or bud. It takes about three ot four months for the plant to mature.
When the tops of the plans begin to wit, it is a sign that the potatoes are ready
to be a dug up. Each potatoes plant may grow tree to six potatoes.
QUESTIONS:

1. What is the best title for the story?

a. How to Cook Potatoes b. Growing Potatoes C. Potato Dishes
2. Where do potatoes come from?
a. Seeds b. leaf cuttings c. pieces of potatoes which have eyes or buds.
 3.What is true about potatoes?
A. each potato plant may grow three to six potatoes
b. Potatoes grow from seeds.
c. Potatoes mature in 1 year to 2 years.

Tortoises
creatures
mammals
expectancy
tropical
couple
span

Nature’s creatures usually have short lives and only few enjoy the long life that people
have. Of all mammals, only the elephant lives about as long as people do. A pet goldfish may
live up to 25 years old, tropical fish are lucky to live more than a couple of years. Fifteen is
remarkably good age of cats and dogs. Many flies and insects live only a few hours.
But trees, tortoises, and parrots regularly live longer than people. Tortoises live to be
over 150 years old. Parrots may live well over 100 years, and giant red trees live for thousand of
years.
Today, man lives longer then ever before. Because of better health standards, a newly
born boy can look forward to a life expectancy of 70 years or more.
QUESTIONS:

1. What is a good title for this selection?

a. How old man lives
b. Life Span of Nature’s animals
c. Life span of Nature’s creatures
2. Which of these sentences sum up the whole selection?
a. Insects have very short life span.
b. Parrots and tortoises have very long live span.
c. Nature’s creatures have different life spans.
3. Which is true about man’s life?
 a. Man’s life is getting shorter because of more stress.
b. Man’s life span is getting longer because of better health.
c. Man lives longer than all other nature’s creatures.

5
Crosswise
simmer
half cooked
mixture
“Pinakbet” is a favorite dish among the Ilocanos. It is one of the tastiest vegetable
dishes, and yet one of the easiest to prepare and cook.
Prepare ¼ of medium sized squash, two fair sized ampalaya, one dozen okra, two pieces
of large pepper, 3 to 4 eggplants, and 6 fair-sized tomatoes. Remove the skin of the squash and
cut it into inch-long pieces. Cut the ampalaya and eggplants crosswise into three inch lengths
and slice the tomatoes. Put the vegetables together in a pot preferably a clay one. Add slices of
pork, one previously roasted milkfish or mudfish, and a tablespoon or fresh fish sauce.
Put enough water in the pot to the cover the mixture. Let the mixture boil. When the
vegetables are half-cooked, lower the fire and allow the mixture to simmer until the vegetables
are cooked.
The pinakbet is ready to served.
QUESTIONS
1. What is the selection all about?
a. How to cook pinakbet?
b. How to eat pinakbet?
c. Why the Ilocanos like pinakbet
2. Which sentence is true according to the selection?
a. Pinakbet is hard to cook.
b. Pinakbet is expensive.
c. Pinakbet is one of the easiest dishes to cook.
3. What vegetable are used in cooking pinakbet?
a. Cabbage, beans, raddish
b. Eggplant, squash, ampalaya
c. Potatoes, tomatoes, raddish

6
Palm
season
blessed
decorate
incense
cure
thunderstorm
The “palaspas” is not just any palm leaf. It is that special palm leaf which is decorated
with flowers and ribbons and is taken to the church on Palm Sunday to be blessed by the
priest. The young leaves of the coconut are made into palaspas. Other palm leaves like the olive
and the pitogo are also made into palaspas.
The blessed palaspas are believed to possess certain miraculous powers. A piece is
burned with incense to ward off witches and evil spirits. A leaf is dipped in water and this water
is given a s medicine to a sick person. It is supposed to cure stomachache, headache, dizziness,
and other illnesses.
The palaspas is also believed to have the power of preventing lightning from striking a
house. During a thunderstorm, a palaspas is burned in the house: thus, keeping it safe from
lightning.
QUESTIONS
1. What is the selection all about?
a. The uses of palaspas
b. How to make palaspas
c. How Palm Sunday came to be
2. Which is not true according to the selection?
a. The blessed palaspas is supposed to passes miraculous powers.
b. The palaspas can ward off evil.
c. The palaspas is used during Christmas Season.
3. From what plants are the palaspas make?
a. Acacia leaves b. palm leaves c. gumamela leaves
 6a
Nature
forces
population
beneath
destructive
occurrences
knowledge
surface
disturbance
An earthquake is a rolling violent movement of the earth’s crust. It is caused by
disturbances beneath the surface causing the ground to break apart. When these occur along
the coastal areas, buildings, and even entire cities crumble into pieces burying the population
beneath the rubble.
Earthquakes are among the most fearsome and destructive forces of nature. Man, with
all his scientific knowledge, has not been able to predict the occurrences of the earthquakes nor
control their devastating effects.
Destruction of property worth millions and deaths of thousand are the yearly toll from
earthquakes. Man knows the causes of earthquakes but is helpless in preventing them.
QUESTIONS:
1. What is the selection all about?
a. How to control earthquakes
b. Destruction caused by earthquakes
c. What to do during earthquakes
2. Which of these sentences sum up the selection?
a. Scientist will never be able to foretell our present earthquakes.
b. Earthquakes can be prevented if its causes will be known.
c. Earthquake is a natural force that man can’t prevent.
3. In which of these subjects can this be taken up?
a. Science b. social studies c. language

6b
vibrate
waves
molecules
decibels
high-pitched
cymbal
force
particles
extreme

The world around us is filled with sound. There are loud sounds and soft sounds. There are
pleasant sounds and unpleasant sounds. At this very moment, you are surrounded by sound. Where
does sound come from? How does it get to your ears? Why are there different kinds of sound? The
study of these questions about sound is called acoustics. Imagine a cymbal hit with a drumstick. The
cymbal shakes rapidly, and this vibration causes the tiny particles in the air around it to vibrate. These
vibrating air particles, called molecules, bump into the air particles next to them and make them vibrate.
This spreading vibration moves outward in every direction from the cymbal in waves.

When a small object is made to vibrate, the sound waves move up and down very quickly. This
produces a high-pitched sound, like a high note in a song. When a large object is made to vibrate, the
sound waves move up and down more slowly. This produces a low-pitched sound, like a low note in a
song. Hitting a small cymbal makes a more high-pitched sound than hitting a large cymbal. The volume
of a sound depends upon the amount of energy, or force, applied to the object that is caused to vibrate.
If the cymbal is hit very hard with the drumstick, the volume of the sound is louder than if it is hit lightly.
The sound wave created by a hard hit carries the energy of the hit along with it. When a sound wave hits
an object, the force that the sound wave carries causes movement in the object it hits. An extremely
loud sound wave, such as the sound of thunder, can actually make the ground shake.

QUESTIONS
Select which context clues give a hint to the meaning of each of these words.
1. acoustics
A. …filled with sound B. …surrounded by sound…
C. …study of…
2. vibration
A. …hit with a drumstick… B. …shakes rapidly…
C. …bump into…
3. high-pitched
A. ,,,move up and down… B. …made to vibrate…
C. ,,,high note in a song…
4. low-pitched
 A. …move up and down… B. …made to vibrate...
C. …low note in a song…
5. volume
A. …sound is louder… B. …hit very hard…
C. …hit lightly…
6. energy
A. ...or force… B. …depends upon… C. …caused to vibrate…

Convince
socialize
plea
Society
bundle
stroll

Part of the Family

We were all so excited to learn that Mom was going to let us adopt and add a new member to our family!
My brother, my two sisters, and I had worked for weeks to convince Mom that we were responsible enough to
have a new puppy. Many days after school I had visited the library and researched puppy training, the proper
feeding of a puppy, how to socialize a new puppy, and even the meanings of names one might choose for a puppy.
All of us had selected certain jobs that would need to be performed if we were lucky enough to convince Mom to
get a puppy. In order to prove to Mom that she would not be the only person taking care of our new family
member, we had divided the jobs among us and created a chart for the first month. Finally, after several weeks of
persuading all our hard work and extra effort had been successful. Mom gave in to our pleas and agreed to let us
adopt a puppy!
Now the real work would begin. We decided to visit the Humane Society in order to select just the right
puppy to join our family. Of course, once we saw all the puppies and dogs available, none of us could decide on
only one. Each little face had its own special charm. Who could resist those big brown eyes? All the puppies were
so thrilled we were visiting them, but each was unaware that just one would be leaving with us. They jumped, they
yipped, they wagged their tails as if each had a motor attached. They joyfully licked every bare inch of skin we had.
How would we ever decide?
As we strolled through the aisles of kennels, I noticed one little bundle of fur. He sat off to the side of the
temporary home he shared with three other rambunctious puppies. He quietly watched as his unruly housemates
tried to be the most outgoing, the cutest, and the perfect pet for us by showing their enthusiasm. As I walked
closer to his corner, he peered at me and smiled a crooked puppy grin. His tail wagged his entire body. He
tentatively jumped up to greet me with a playful lap of his tongue and I noticed his lopsided ears. One ear stood up
just a little straighter than the other, giving the impression he was listening quite closely to the words I was saying.
“Hi there, little buddy. What do you think?” I kind of cooed to him. He seemed to know it didn’t matter
that he was the smallest and the most reserved of the boisterous group of puppies occupying the kennel. I
motioned for my siblings to join me at the corner and introduced them to “Buddy.” “This is him, this is Buddy! He
needs us, I can tell,” I explained to my brother and sisters. “I don’t know, he is so tiny and kind of funny looking,”
my youngest sister observed. 7 “He has character,” I explained, feeling rather defensive of Buddy. He was not
funny looking, he was unique! “Look in his eyes. He knows what you are saying and his feelings are hurt!”
My sister looked at the little bundle of fur with the big eyes and the uneven ears. She reached out her
hand, and Buddy gave her a lick. “I’m sorry, Buddy, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” she said. She looked as if
she might cry. “You’re right! Buddy has character.”
Mom joined our little group and introduced herself to our new friend. “Okay, Buddy, I guess you’re it! Do
you want to come home with us?”
As I watched the little dog’s reaction to her words, I could tell he understood. He again cocked his head to
one side and flashed us his crooked puppy smile as if to say he knew he was part of the family.

QUESTIONS
1. What is the perspective of the mom in the story?
A. She is reluctant to get a puppy because she would do all the work.
B. She is reluctant to get a puppy because she would have to spend money.
C. She is reluctant to get a puppy because she prefers cats.
D. She is reluctant to get a puppy because she is afraid of dogs.

2. What evidence shows the children are prepared for a puppy?

A. They research puppy training and care.

B. They beg and plead with their mother.
C. They get jobs to raise money to buy the dog.
D. They research personalities of different breeds.
3. The author uses the word reserved in the passage. Which phrase best completes the analogy,
“Reserved is to active as __________”?
A. excitable is to energetic. B. timid is to rowdy.
C. unruly is to naughty. D. noisy is to loud.
4. In paragraph 7, the author is described as feeling defensive of Buddy. What is the meaning of the
word defensive?

A. wanting to capture Buddy B. wanting to tease Buddy

C. wanting to protect Buddy D. wanting to admire Buddy

5. What is the little dog’s reaction to Mom’s words, “Okay, Buddy, I guess you’re it”?
A. He gives a playful lap of his tongue.
B. He jumps up to greet the narrator.
C. He cocks his head to one side and flashes a smile.
D. He makes one ear stand up straighter.
6. What is the main idea of the story?
A. following the process of adopting a new puppy
B. researching the responsibilities of caring for a puppy
C. convincing Mom to allow the adoption of a new puppy
D. determining the criteria for selecting a new puppy
7. From what point of view is the story told?
A. first person B. second person
C. third person limited D. third person omniscient
 9

Is it really a monkey?

Primates
promisians
apes
thumb

Have you ever seen a monkey at the zoo? If you have, are you sure it was really a monkey?
Sometimes, people call an animal a monkey when it isn’t a monkey at all. It may be a prosimian or an
ape. Prosimians, monkeys and apes all belong to a group of mammals called primates. Prosimians are
lower primates. Monkeys and apes are higher primates.

Both the lower and higher primates share some common characteristics. Forward-facing eyes
with color vision is one. Five-fingered hands with opposing thumbs is another. However, there are also
many differences. What are a few examples of animals belonging to the prosimian group? Well the
lemur is one. The bushbaby and loris are two others. Prosimians have dog-like snouts and a much
greater sense of smell than monkeys and apes. Baboons are one of the few monkeys with snouts, and
no apes at all have a protruding snout. One difference is the time of day when the animal is most active.
Most prosimians are nocturnal. This means they are active at night. Monkeys and apes are the opposite.
They are diurnal, or mostly active during the day.

So far we have been talking about how monkeys and apes differ from prosimians. Now let’s see
a few ways monkeys and apes differ from each other.

One major difference is the tail. Apes don’t have a tail. Almost all monkeys do. Even baboons,
the largest of the monkeys, have a tail, though it is pretty short.

Another difference is size. Most apes are larger than monkeys. Also, apes have larger brains.
Apes have arms longer than their legs. Monkeys’ arms are shorter or the same length as their legs.

Apes also have full shoulder rotation, which means they can swing arm over arm from branch to
branch. Most monkeys cannot do this, though the spider monkey is an exception. In fact, the skeletal
structure of monkeys is more like other four-footed animals, and they move the same way, running
along the branches on all fours.

There are more species of monkeys than there are of apes or prosimians. A few examples of
monkeys, in addition to the baboon and spider monkey, are the macaque, the howler monkey, the
capuchin, the tamarin and the marmoset.

Meanwhile, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, gibbons and siamangs are all apes. So
far we have been talking about how monkeys and apes differ from prosimians. Now let’s see a few ways
monkeys and apes differ from each other. So the next time you visit a zoo remember that an animal you
call a monkey might not really be a monkey at all. It might be a prosimian or an ape.

QUESTIONS:
1) What would have been an ideal alternative title to the passage?
a) Monkeys and Apes b) All about primates
c) Chimpanzees d) Nocturnal prosimians
2.) Complete the classification chart.

3) What are the common features of lower and higher primates?

______________________________

______________________________

4) Name some animals which fall under each category of primates.

Prosimians ___________________
Monkeys ___________________
Apes ___________________

5) ) How are monkeys and apes different from each other?

10

Dogs Groups

Breed
hound
herd
retriever
husky
rescue

Dog breeds are generally divided into groups. The Hound Group of dogs include those who have
been historically used for hunting.

The Hound Group of dogs include those who have been historically used for hunting. The Hound
group includes the Basset Hound, Afghan Hound, Beagle, Bloodhound, and Basenji.
 The Working Group includes dogs bred to perform such jobs as guarding property, pulling sleds
and performing water rescues. Members of the Working Group include the Akita, the Bernese Mountain
Dog, the Boxer, the Great Dane, and the Siberian Husky.

Dogs in the Herding Group (Border Collie, Australian Shephard, Bouvier, Belgian Shephard) were
included in the Working Group up until 1983.

The Sporting Group includes dogs that are naturally active and alert. This group, which includes
pointers, retrievers, setters and spaniels, are known for their instincts both in water and in the woods.

Dogs in the Working, Herding, and Sporting groups require a lot of exercise, as well as regular
mental stimulation.

Dogs in the Non-Sporting Group include dogs of a variety of sizes, coats, personalities, and
overall appearance. Members of this group include the Chow Chow, Dalmatian, French Bulldog, Terrier,
and the Keeshond. Popular breeds like the Poodle and the Lhasa Apso also belong to this group.

The Terrier Group is made up of energetic dogs that can range in size from the small Norfolk,
Cairn, or West Highland White Terrier up to the large Airedale Terrier.

The Toy Group (Chihuahua, Maltese, Miniature Pinscher, Pekinese, etc.) consists of small dogs
whose main function is to be a pet.

MULTIPLE CHOICE:

______ 1. Which dog might you consider if you wanted a high-energy dog that can be taught to do a
job?
A. French Bulldog B. Siberian Husky
C. West Highland White Terrier D. Chihuahua ______
2. Which group includes the Border Collie and the Australian Shepherd?
A. Toy Group B. Sporting Group C. Herding Group D. Terrier Group ______
3. Which group’s main function is to be a pet?
A. Toy Group B. Sporting Group C. Non-Sporting Group D. Hound Group ______
4. What group includes the most diverse collection of dogs?
A. Toy Group B. Sporting Group C. Non-Sporting Group D. Terrier Group
_____________________________

11

Halloween Creature

Creature
Halloween
secluded
spot
monstrous
vampire
folktales
ferocious
wagon

Uncle Moses is in his fifties and has been a bachelor all his life. He doesn’t have any family but
somehow everybody around town calls him Uncle Moses anyway. On Halloween evening Uncle Moses
drove the tractor with a hay wagon loaded with kids pulled along behind it. It was a chilly night like
Halloween often is. He parked in a dark secluded spot where the fire was ready to be lit. Clouds covered
what should have been the bright harvest moon. After everyone roasted hot dogs and marshmallows,
they sat around the warm fire casually chatting. Then Uncle Moses started to speak, recounting folktales
of vampires and other monstrous creatures.

First he told about the Scottish vampires, the Vampire. These beautiful young women are always
dressed in long green gowns that hide their goat-like feet but sometimes they appear as ravens or
crows. After enticing a young man to dance until he is exhausted, the vampire drains the blood from his
body. “Beware of the vampire,” Uncle Moses warned in hushed tones. “There may be one sitting among
us right now. Vampires look like normal humans. They use the stinger under their tongues to stun their
victims. Then they suck out every drop of blood. Vampires roam the earth from noon ‘til midnight. We
might see one yet tonight!” Everyone giggled at the thought of a Russian vampire invading their
Halloween party.
A chilly wind started to blow and the kids moved closer to the fire as Uncle Moses started a tall
tale about a ferocious werewolf that attacked unsuspecting humans in the deep dark forests of
Transylvania. A couple of kids thought they heard rustling in the leaves nearby but ignored the sounds
until someone yelled, “I see yellow eyes coming this way!” Sure enough, a creature was approaching the
campfire; it was just the right size to be a werewolf on Halloween night. A couple of kids screamed and
hid their faces with their hands. Uncle Moses just chuckled and called softly, “Come Sophia and join the
party.” Sophia, Uncle Moses’ chocolate lab dog, pattered over and started licking the kids. The kids
decided they had enough of Halloween stories, put out the fire and hopped back onto the hay wagon for
the ride back to the barn.

Multiple Choice:

1. How old was Uncle Moses?

a. In his forties b. In his fifties c. In his sixties

2. At the Halloween bonfire what did the kids eat?

a. Roasted hot dogs b. Hamburgers c. Pizza

3. Vampires have feet like

a. Horses b. Crocodiles c. Goats

 1

OUR FOREFATHER’S

In the olden days tehre were no churches in the Philippines. Although there were no churches,
out forefathers knew how to pray. They prayed in may places. Most often they prayed in their homes.
They believed in a great god called Bathala. They believed that Bathala was the creator of all things.
They worshipped him. They prayed to him.

Our forefathers held religious feasts in the house of their headman or chief. Usually, a feast
lasted fpr several days. All the people of the barangay attended. They would hung a large lamp at the
center at the house and many small ones on the posts. Drums and gongs provided music. As part of the
celebration, the people danced. They would beat drums for as long as the feast lasted. The people,
young and old, enjoyed the religious festivities.

VESSELS AT SEA

Boats may be called ships and ships may be called boats. But usually, vessels big enough to sail
sea and ocean are called “ships” and small vessels are called “boats”.

An ocean liner or a big passenger ship is like a city hotel. It has a several floats called decks.
Bedrooms called staterooms or cabins are found on the upper floats. There are dining rooms, beauty
shops, barber shops, stores and lounges. Some liners have gymnasiums, a theater, a swimming pool and
a hospital. Many rooms have telephones. All have electric lights.

Many of the big ships today are vessels or cargo ships or a tankers. The world’s largest ships are
the aircraft carriers of the United States Navy. An aircraft carrier carries not only enough enough crew to
operate large ship but also the men and equipment necessary to maintain and launch the airplanes
stored on the decks.

For years, ships were the only means of crossing oceans. Now, there are airplanes. Ships,
however can carry much bigger and heavier loads than airplanes.

BESTFRIEND BLUES

Alexa and Brittany were best friends. They’d known each other since Brittany moved next door
in 5th grade. They hung out almost every day after school… when they were getting along, that is. They
were very different people. Alexa did great with her school work, read a lot of books, and took dance
classes.

Brittany, on the other hand, would rather play volleyball, chat with other kids at school, and
rarely sat still for long enough to finish reading a chapter of a book. Often, Alexa and Brittany would play
together at the park across the street. They’d play on the equipment, play tag with a group of
neighborhood kids, or play volleyball. If it was raining outside, they’d go in one of their houses to make
crafts, play video games, or do some paper crafts. Some days they could spend hours together without a
single problem, but other days they just could not agree on what to do. “Come on, let’s play. We’ve
played volleyball for the last three days!” Alexa said. “They just cut the grass, They love playing
volleyball together.

The next day at school, their teacher asked for their notebooks. Brittany didn’t have hers, and
asked Mrs. Bautista if she could bring it in tomorrow instead. Mrs. Bautista let us have one late
assignment a month, but Brittany had already used hers. Brittany looked upset, and walked quietly back
to her desk.
Alexa was having an internal conflict. She knew she should tell Mrs. Bautista that she had the
notebook, but she was still mad at Brittany for not compromising with her at the park yesterday. When
it was time for lunch, Alexa hung back to talk with Mrs. Bautista. “Mrs. Baustista, I have Brittany’s
notebook. I should have said something earlier, but Alexa and I had a problem yesterday, and I’m still
mad at her. Would you be able to help us solve our problem?” Alexa asked. “Thank you for being
honest, Alexa. I’m sure Brittany will appreciate that you gave me her notebook when you could have
made her get another late mark instead. I’m glad you asked for help solving the problem. It’s really hard
to solve a problem by yourself when you’re still feeling upset, so this is a good solution.” At recess, Mrs.
Bautista sat and talked with the girls. They each revealed that they get frustrated with the other person
a lot because they don’t always want to do the same things, but they realized that they never really
solved their problem. One of them just always went home. Mrs. Bautista helped them realize that
maybe they didn’t have to play together every day to be best friends. They decided to just play together
a couple times a week, and take turns picking the activity. Alexa and Brittany were hopeful that this
would solve a lot of the arguments they’d been having lately!

THE BEST VACATION

Summer break was fast approaching, and all Sam wanted to do some outdoor activities.
Unfortunately, Sam’s parents had different plans. They had booked a weeklong vacation in the province.
Sam hated warm weather and asked if he could just stay at his best friend’s house so he could do some
outdoor activies every day with his buddies at the local mountain. His parents didn’t want to hear
anything of it. He kept debating them about the topic, but they would not change their minds. Family
time was important to them, and it was tradition that they spend summer break together. The week of
the vaction arrived, and Sam continued to mumble his complaints as he and his family left their house to
head south. Sam’s dad told him that he would only make the vacation worse for himself if he didn’t
change his attitude and open his mind to a new experience. Scott still couldn’t stop thinking about all of
the snow he was leaving behind. When they arrived at the port to board the ship, Sam had a hard time
admitting that he was actually impressed with the size of the ship. He had seen the brochures but seeing
the ship in person was a whole different animal. Then he remembered that the brochure said something
about a pool. Maybe swimming would be somewhat like sufing. After all, it involved riding a board. Sam
climbed aboard the ship with his parents, and then they walked around to check everything out. He
couldn’t believe how extravagant the accommodations were. The dining room looked like a royal hall;
the game room had all of his favorite games and then some; the ship’s deck had several different
swimming pools for different purposes. Then Sam saw the surfing pool. It was incredible. It wasn’t a big
pool, but it had big waves, and the girl who was demonstrating how to ride the waves made it look like a
ton of fun.

LIGHT: HOW WE SEE COLORS

Light is a form of energy that we can see. Some light comes from the sun. Other light is man-
made. Man-made light uses science to turn another kind of energy, such as electricity, into energy in the
form of light. Light moves in a wavy beam from a source to whatever object it meets. The beam is made
up of smaller wavy beams—one for each color. When a light beam is moving through the air, with all the
colors together, it appears to be clear. When a light beam hits an object, such as tree leaves, or an
apple, the color of the object affects the smaller color beams inside the entire light beam. The green
leaves absorb all of the color beams except green. Only the green beam is reflected back, so our eyes
see the leaves as green. The apple absorbs all of the color beams except red. Only the red beam is
reflected back, so our eyes see the apple as red. This is called “reflection”. Another kind of reflection
happens when a light beam hits a smooth, shiny object. When this happens, the entire beam of light
bounces back. None of the small color beams are absorbed. The light beam bounces back like a ball
thrown against a wall. If we look at the shiny object that is reflecting light, we can see images of the
things the reflected light hits as it bounces off the shiny surface, such as our own face!

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

In ancient times, people tried to explain the world around them based on what they saw.
People in ancient times saw that the sun came up from one side of the earth, moved across the sky, and
went down on the other side. Based on this observation, they believed that the sun travels around the
earth. Going directly from observation to conclusion is called non-scientific thinking. Here is an example
of non-scientific thinking. Maybe you had a sick stomach, and ate a candy bar. An hour later, you
observed that you felt much better. You might conclude that it was the candy bar that made you feel
better. But there are other possible explanations for the observation. Maybe you had taken some
medicine an hour earlier, and it took a while to work. Maybe enough time had passed, and you would
have felt better without eating the candy bar. Non-scientific thinking happens all the time. The scientific
method is a way of thinking that helps you to avoid drawing incorrect conclusions. It helps you to avoid
non-scientific thinking. It reminds you to treat your first conclusion as one of several possible
conclusions. It reminds you to gather evidence to support your conclusion. The five steps in the scientific
method begin by questioning an observation, and end with a conclusion that is based on evidence. Step
1 in the scientific method is to ask a question about your observation, such as, “What makes a sick
stomach feel better?” Step 2 is to state a possible answer to the question, or a hypothesis, such as, “A
candy bar makes a sick stomach feel better.” Step 3 is to test the hypothesis. This can be done in many
different ways. You could wait until you have a sick stomach again, eat a candy bar, and see what
happens. You could ask a lot of people if eating a candy bar had ever made a sick stomach feel better.
Figuring out how to test a hypothesis is what makes science challenging. Step 4 is to think about the
findings—think about what happened when you tested the hypothesis. Step 5 is to draw a conclusion—
and share it with the rest of the world.
7

THE WOODCUTTER AND HIS AXE

A Woodcutter was hard at work beside a river. He chopped down a tree and chopped off the
branches, one by one. He stacked the small branches in one pile and the large branches in another pile.
It was hard work, and he grew tired. By accident, he dropped his axe into the deep river. He sat down on
the river bank, and put his head in his hands. The Woodcutter heard a sound in the nearby bushes, He
lifted his head and was amazed to see a strange little man dressed all in green. He thought perhaps it
was one of the Wood Gnomes of the fairy tales, and he was quite correct. “Why are you so upset?”
asked the Wood Gnome. The Woodcutter explained what had happened, and the Wood Gnome walked
closer to the bank of the deep river and dived right in headfirst. In moments he climbed out, carrying a
golden axe. “Is this your axe, sir?” asked the Wood Gnome. The Woodcutter shook his head with sorrow.
The Wood Gnome dived back into the river, and came up with a silver axe. “Is this your axe?” he asked.
Again, the woodcutter shook his head, and again the Wood Gnome dived into the river. This time, he
came out of the river with the Woodcutter’s own axe, and the Woodcutter shouted out with joy. The
Wood Gnome told the Woodcutter that he must keep the gold and silver axes as well as his own, as a
reward for his honesty. The Woodcutter went home and told all of his friends what had happened. He
showed them the gold and silver axes. The next day, one of those friends went to the place by the river
that the Woodcutter had described. He threw his axe into the river, and sat down on the riverbank and
buried his head in his bands. The Wood Gnome appeared, and asked him why he was so upset. The
Woodcutter’s friend said that he had dropped his axe into the river by mistake, and the Wood Gnome
quickly dived into the river, and came up with a golden axe. “Is this your axe?” the Wood Gnome asked,
and the man reached for it greedily, saying that it was the very axe he had lost. The Wood Gnome kept
the golden axe, and left without going back into the river for the axe that the dishonest man had thrown
there on purpose.

Marco got a letter from his Uncle Ben, the airplane pilot. Uncle Ben has traveled all over the
world.

Dear Marco,

This is my third time visiting Paris, and I think it is one of the most beautiful cities in the
world. Paris, as I’m sure you know, is the capital of France. Today I walked along the Avenue des
Champs-Elysees, which is the most famous street in Paris. I think it may be the most famous
street in the world. It is lined with beautiful trees, fountains, and flowers. There are shops,
theaters, and restaurants, and many sidewalk cafes. I had a wonderful lunch at one of the
sidewalk cafes. The pastry I had for dessert was especially delicious. Paris is known for its fine
French cooking. I noticed on the café menu that they serve one of the most popular French
dishes, which is escargot. Snails, in other words! I don’t think I’ll be trying that while I am here,
though. When you think of Paris, you probably think of the Eiffel Tower. Anyone visiting Paris
has to see the Eiffel Tower. You can see the top of the Eiffel Tower from anywhere in the city. It
is almost 1000 feet tall. When was built, it was the tallest building in the world. You can walk up
 the stairs to the top, or you can take an elevator. From the top you can look out across all of
Paris. It is an amazing sight! Tomorrow I am going to the Louvre Museum. It is one of the largest
museums in the world. Once it was the French King’s palace. Now, it is home to some of the
most famous artworks in the world. I am looking forward to seeing the “Mona Lisa” painting.
Have you seen pictures of it? It was painted over 500 years ago! There have been many poems
and songs written about it. The woman in the painting has a little half-smile. To me, that makes
it seem like she has a secret that she isn’t going to tell.

Yours truly,

Uncle Ben

THE KINGLY LION

The animals of the field and forest had a Lion as their King. When anyone had a problem, he
took it to the Lion King, and the Lion King helped to solve it. When anyone had an argument, they took it
to the Lion King, and he helped to settle it. The Lion King never made demands that were in his own
interest. He wanted only what was best for each and every animal. Day after day, the Lion King thought
about nothing but the animals who were his subjects. Then he sat down and wrote out a Royal Order.
He called all the animals to come before him. He stood on a hilltop and watched the animals come
together from far and near. He waited for them to settle. “Hear ye, hear ye!” the Lion began, in his deep
and rumbling voice. “I have written out my orders for a new way of doing things that will be better for
all. From this day forward, the Wolf and the Lamb shall agree to live in peace. The Panther and the Goat
shall live in peace. The Tiger and the Deer, and the Dog and the Rabbit— all shall live together in perfect
peace and harmony. The Rabbit said, "Oh, how I have longed to see this day, in which the weak shall
take their place without fear, by the side of the strong." And after the Rabbit said this, he ran for his life.

10

THE ELDERLY LION

A very Elderly Lion, weakened by old age and old injuries, could no longer hunt for his food. He
lived for a while on grass and berries, but this made him grow still weaker. He decided to use his brain to
take what he could not get by force. The Elderly Lion lay down in his den. He told every animal and bird
who passed by that he was very sick. The animals all got the news of Elderly Lion’s illness, and came one
by one to visit him. Squirrel came, bringing fresh grasses and berries. Squirrel was not seen after that.
Dove came, bringing more fresh grasses and berries. Dove was not seen after that. More animals went
to visit the Elderly Lion, and it became clear that animals were disappearing. Fox thought about the
situation. He decided to go and visit the Elderly Lion. He went to the Elderly Lion’s den and stood outside
at a respectful distance. “How are you feeling today?” Fox asked. “Not well, not at all well,” said the
Elderly Lion. “But why do you stand there outside? Please—come inside and visit with me for a while.”
“No thank you,” said Fox. “I notice that there are many footprints leading into your den, but I see no
trace of any leading out.”