Louis Braille Passage Questions - CLSwc.orginspired Louis Braille. Louis simplified the system, reduced the series of dots from twelve to six and eliminated the dashes. By the time

Louis Braille

© 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.

1

Louis Braille Noah Remnick

Have you ever noticed when you step into an elevator that next to the buttons showing

the floor numbers, there are small plates with a series of raised dots and bumps? Did you ever

wonder what those bumps and dots mean and why they are there? When you run your fingers

over those plates, you feel the ridges. When blind people touch them, they read the floor

numbers. In a grid of six bumps, with two across and three down, a configuration of two raised

bumps across the top and one down on the right side is the number 4; one dot on the top left

side and two across the middle is the number 8.

Who invented this elaborate setup of bumps and dots that comprise an entire alphabet

and numerical system that allows blind people to read with their fingers? Was it a

distinguished scientist, or a brilliant author, or perhaps a famous artist?

Actually, this system, which is called braille, was created by a blind 12‐year‐old French

boy and was named for him. Louis was not always blind. He became blind by accident. Louis

Braille was born on January 4, 1809 in a small country village near Paris called Coupvray. His

father was a leather worker who made harnesses and other leather goods. One day, when he

Louis Braille


2

was just three years old, Louis was in his father’s leather workshop. Like many young children,

Louis enjoyed imitating his father. He was fiddling with an awl, a small tool with a round

wooden handle and a sharp, pointed metal tip that is used to punch holes in leather. While he

was playing, the awl slipped and poked Louis in the eye. A doctor treated the wound as best

he could and patched the eye. But the eye became infected, and the infection spread to the

other eye. Within a short time, young Louis was totally blind in both eyes.

In those days, many blind people became beggars or performers in sideshows. But

Louis’s parents refused to allow their son’s disability to get in the way of his studies or his life.

Louis attended school like his brothers and sisters, relying on his creativity, intelligence, and

drive to overcome obstacles. To help him navigate the village, his father made him canes. The

local priest taught him to use his other senses to learn: his hearing to distinguish the calls of

different birds, and his sense of smell to identify different plants and flowers. Louis was one of

the brightest students in his school.

In 1819, at age 10, Louis earned a scholarship to attend the Royal Institute for Blind

Youth in Paris, the first school in the world devoted to blind children. For Louis, going to the

school meant leaving his family and the village he knew well, where he felt safe. But Louis and

his family knew the school offered him the best opportunity to get an education and lead a

successful life. There he excelled in studying history, math, science, and grammar, but he

proved especially gifted at music. Louis became an accomplished pianist and organist. He even

got a paid job as an organist, playing in a small church near the institute.

The students at the school learned most of their subjects by listening to lessons. But

there were a few books that the school’s founder, a man named Valentin Hauy, had developed

by printing raised, or embossed, letters. Reading that way was slow, and the books were large

and heavy. But they were the only books available then for blind people. Louis Braille began to

wonder: wasn’t there a better way to allow blind people to read?

Louis Braille


3

One day Louis learned about the work of a former French army captain named Charles

Barbier. Captain Barbier had invented something called “night writing,” a code of 12 raised

dots and dashes that allowed soldiers to communicate with one another at night without using

lights that would alert the enemy to their location. The soldiers could “feel” the messages with

their fingers, and keep safe. The code turned out to be too complex for the soldiers, but it

inspired Louis Braille. Louis simplified the system, reduced the series of dots from twelve to six

and eliminated the dashes. By the time he was 20, Louis published his first alphabet for the

blind, a system he continued to work on and perfect.

And how did Louis create the dots he used in his revolutionary new system? He used an

awl. The very tool that caused his blindness became the instrument that brought the

opportunity for reading to Louis and generations of blind people to this day.

The world was slow to accept Louis Braille’s innovation. Indeed, during his lifetime, his

method was not widely accepted. Louis Braille died at the young age of 43 from tuberculosis, a

devastating respiratory disease. He was buried in his home village of Coupvray.

In time, Braille’s method became accepted around the world. “Braille” alphabets were

created in languages spanning the globe. Today, we find them not only on elevator plates, but

also on computers and cell phones. And the name Louis Braille stands for innovation, courage,

and determination.

system sys · tem

Definition

noun

1. a group of things or parts that work together as a whole.

This is a large school system.

2. a particular way or method of doing something.

He’s got a system for getting his office work done.We need a better voting system.

Advanced Definition

noun

1. a group of related things or parts that function together as a whole.

There are twelve elementary schools in our city's school system.

2. a human or animal body as a unit.

toxic substances in his system.

3. an ordered set of doctrines, ideas, or principles.

a system of ethics.

4. a particular method of procedure, organization, or classification.

The books are organized according to a system.The people are demanding a new system of government

5. organized, orderly methods; orderliness.

The project needs system in order to succeed.

Spanish cognate

sistema: The Spanish word sistema means system.

These are some examples of how the word or forms of the word are used:

1. The next time Jason went to Ho Tep Wildlife Reserve, on a camping trip with his dad, he made a point of observing the wildlife. He spent twenty minutes watching a copperhead snake slither across the forest floor, wondering about its role in the larger system.

2. She also became a hero and an inspiration to people all over the nation who were fighting for racial equality, including Dr. Martin Luther King, a young pastor who would soon become a major civil rightsleader. In response to Rosa’s arrest, blacks in the city of Montgomery boycotted the public bus system for more than a year.

3. New York City is one of the densest cities in the world, with millions of people squeezed into a mere 303 square miles. Although it has the world’s largest subway system, traffic can still be quite bad,particularly at rush hour.

4. When negative feedback occurs, an original effect is diminished. Both positive and negative feedback loops can occur in all kinds of Earth systems, not just in a system related to the climate. For example,the relationship between different species of animals is a kind of system as well. Periodically, the populations of certain animals will wax and wane.

5. This has been the largest environmental conservation project in the history of the United States. Much of it is designed to reverse�engineer the canal system that was built in the 19th and mid�20thcenturies. Ecological indicators are showing some improvements. The crayfish population is up. Wading and migratory birds have improved their nesting habits.

6. Shasta Dam isn't the only dam in the area. It is just one part of the Central Valley Project, a huge system of dams and reservoirs that provides water to the farms in the Central Valley. This water system wasinitially conceived of in the 1870s, after people moved to the area in the 1850s. People flocked to California because of the gold rush, hoping to get rich by mining for gold.

7. Scientists believe that gold was formed by explosions in space. Dusts that contained metals, including gold, were spread by these explosions throughout the galaxies until they condensed into the solarsystem and planets where we now live. Because the core of the earth was hot and molten when the planet formed, almost all of the gold sank into the earth’s core where we cannot reach it.

8. Hundreds of different species of coral make up the various structures composing the Great Barrier Reef. Within these structures, several ecosystems flourish. Ecosystems are complex systems that containseveral species that interact with one another.

Alexander Graham Bell


Alexander Graham Bell Noah Remnick

Alexander Graham Bell was in his laboratory, working on a device that would allow

people to talk to one another through wires, even when they were not in the same room, or

even the same city. Today, we take for granted that we can communicate in real time with

people around the corner and around the globe. But in the 1870’s, when Bell was

experimenting with his new project, such an idea was like a fantasy.

On March 10, 1876, that fantasy came to life. It is unclear what exactly unfolded that

day, but one story says that while working on his voice transmitter, Bell accidentally knocked

over a bottle of transmitting fluid, burning his skin. Instinctively, he called out to his assistant,

Thomas Watson, to come help: “Mr. Watson. Come here. I want to see you.”

Watson heard those words and was startled. They had come crackling across the

earpiece of what the two inventors had labeled the telephone. The experiment was successful.

It was the first telephone call.

Alexander Graham Bell’s interest in communications devices traced back to his childhood in

Edinburgh, Scotland. He was born on March 3, 1847 to a father who was an expert in speech

production and a mother who was a gifted pianist despite being profoundly deaf. The perseverance

and success of his mother in the face of such adversity taught young Alexander that problems were

surmountable and that he could help people to overcome them.



From a young age, Alexander’s curiosity propelled him to find solutions to problems. When

he was 12 years old, he came up with his first invention. While playing in a grain mill with a friend,

he was frustrated by the lengthy time it took to remove the husk from the wheat grain. He went

home, thought about it, and created a gadget that used rotating paddles and nail brushes to strip

the husk off the grain. It was the first of dozens of varied devices that Bell would invent.

Bell’s curiosity and ingenuity were nurtured by his grandfather, a teacher of speech and

elocution. When Bell was 15 years old, he went to live with and care for his grandfather, who

was aging and ailing. The two grew very close, and the grandfather encouraged Alexander to

pursue his inventive streak.

In 1870, the Bell family’s life changed rather abruptly when they moved to Canada.

Bell’s two older brothers had died of tuberculosis, and Alexander’s health had been failing,

too. His parents were convinced that America would be a healthier environment and moved,

first to Ontario, Canada, then to Boston. Bell thrived. His health improved. Eventually, he

began to tutor deaf students in Boston.

The parents of two of his students were excited by Bell’s idea to invent a device that

transmitted multiple signals over a single wire. One of the parents learned, however, that

another inventor, Elisha Gray, was working on a very similar project at the same time. To

encourage Bell and to help rush his work along, the parent hired an electrician by the name of

Thomas Watson to be Bell’s assistant. He hoped that between Bell’s clever ideas and Watson’s

practical skills, the two men would succeed quickly. However, instead of focusing on a

multiple‐signal transmission device, Bell and Watson focused much of their time on a device to

transmit the human voice over wires. To protect their experiment, Bell and Watson’s voice‐

transmitting device was registered with the United States patent office. Lewis Latimer, another

inventor, helped Bell by drafting the drawings of the device for the patent. The patent was



well timed: Gray attempted to file for his own “telephone” the very same day, but he was

turned away because the idea was already protected and owned by Bell and his supporters.

On that March morning in 1876, Bell’s dream was achieved when the words “Mr.

Watson. Come here. I want to see you” traveled from the room Bell was in to the room

Watson was in across telephone wires. The two men took their incredible telephone device on

the road, demonstrating its proficiency in city after city. The year after his telephone came to

life, Bell married Mabel Hubbard, one of the deaf students whose fathers supported Bell’s

dream of inventing the telephone.

Bell was challenged dozens of times in lawsuits by people trying to discredit his patent,

especially by other inventors who claimed to have invented the telephone before him. He won

every time. Bell created the Bell Telephone Company, and in the first 10 years of its existence,

telephone ownership in the United States grew to more than 150,000 people. Bell improved

the device over the years. For example, he added a microphone that amplified the voice. He

also went on to invent and patent many other devices that would have pleased his mother

because of the way they helped people to solve problems.

When Bell died on August 2, 1922 in Nova Scotia, Canada, the entire telephone system

was shut down for one minute in tribute to the man who revolutionized communications.

communication com·mu·ni·ca·tion

Definitionnoun

1. the sharing or exchange of messages, information, or ideas.

Reading and writing are important forms of communication.

E-mail is a new means of communication.

Advanced Definitionnoun

1. the transferring of messages or exchanging of information or ideas.

2. a specific transferred message.

3. (pl.) means of transferring messages, such as telephone, telegraph,

television, radio, and the like.

Spanish cognate comunicación: The Spanish word comunicación means communication.

These are some examples of how the word communication can be used.

1. The Internet is a communications system that connects computers around theworld.

2. Industrial advances allowed for the development and expansion of new industries,like transportation (roads, canals, and railroads), communications (magazines andnewspapers), and finance (banking and insurance).

3. Communications and commerce are global; investment is mobile; technology isalmost magical; and ambition for a better life is now universal. We earn ourlivelihood in America today in peaceful competition with people all across theEarth.

4. Only a man practiced in multi-tasking and skilled in both adult and childcommunication, could deliver a tour of his home while playing with a stuffed pig.He's quick and makes quips you can't stop to think about, unless you don't mindmissing the next one.

ReadWorks Vocabulary for "Alexander Graham Bell" - Page 1 of 1

ReadWorks.org© 2014 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.

Wordsmyth.netAll definitions and sample sentences within the

definitions are provided generously by Wordsmyth.© 2014 Wordsmyth. All rights reserved.

inventive in · ven · tive

Advanced Definition

adjective

1. adept at thinking up new ideas or at devising new objects or methods; imaginative.

2. of or relating to invention.


1. Zany, playful, and inventive: Many people describe Jack Prelutsky's poems for kids that way.

2. The two grew very close, and the grandfather encouraged Alexander to pursue his inventive streak.

3. Working from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California, their team introduced the world to one of the most daring,inventive feats of engineering the world had ever witnessed: the pinpoint landing of NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars.

patent pat·ent

Definitionnoun

1. a government grant that gives someone the right to make, use, or sell an

invention. A patent is given for a certain number of years.

He got a patent for the toy he designed.

verb

1. to get a patent on.

The engineer patented her invention.


1. a government grant to an inventor, giving for a specified period the

exclusive right to make, use, or sell an invented device, process, or the

like.

The inventor has applied for a patent.

2. the device, process, or the like that is thus protected.

3. any of several other rights granted by government, as to the ownership

of land previously in the public domain.

adjective

1. of, concerning, or protected by a patent or patents.

You should consult a patent attorney.

We use a patent device to handle this problem.

2. very noticeable; obvious.

What he's saying is just patent nonsense.

transitive verb

1. to secure a patent on.

The engineer patented his invention.





2. to grant a patent on.

The government patented her device.

Spanish cognate patente: The Spanish word patente means patent.

These are some examples of how the word patent can be used.

1. Patented the telephone, which revolutionized communication, at the age of 29.

2. According to the United States Patent Office, over 4,000 people have tried toinvent a better mousetrap.

3. The CAT scan machine was patented. Doctors use CAT scans to take detailed 3-Dpictures of the inside of the body.

4. Tru Fire is Lavallee's patented airbrush technique for painting flames that look real.He came up with the idea in 2000 when a guy at a car show wanted Lavallee topaint flames on his car--flames that looked real.

5. He won several patents on space-related inventions and also founded theShareSpace Foundation, whose stated mission is to "share the wonders of spacewith children of all ages and to foster affordable space travel opportunities for allpeople."

6. By 1902, the Wright brothers were piloting hundreds of well-controlled gliderflights (between September and October of 1902, they made between 700 and1,000 glides). They finally felt confident enough to patent their "three-axis control"system. And they were ready to add engines to the equation.

7. In an unusual move, Franklin never patented a single one of his designs orinventions, which meant other people were free to copy them, improve uponthem or re-create them. He resisted hoarding his ideas because he truly believedthat people benefitted from one another's inventions. It gave society an advantageif new designs and inventions were available to all, because that way, more mindscould work on them in order to make them better.





transmitter trans·mit·ter

Definitionnoun

1. the apparatus that makes and changes radio waves in order to send

them out as radio or TV signals.

We could not watch Channel 4 because their transmitter was

broken.


1. the broadcasting apparatus that generates, amplifies, and modulates

radio waves and sends the signal thus produced from an antenna.

2. the part of a telephone or telegraph that changes sound waves or

mechanical movements into electrical impulses than can be conveyed to

a receiver.

3. anything that transmits.

Spanish cognate transmisor: The Spanish word transmisor means transmitter.

These are some examples of how the word transmitter can be used.

1. After Springer had recovered, scientists decided that they should return the orca tothe ocean. Before releasing her, they attached a radio transmitter to Springer. Theradio allows scientists to track her.

2. A concussion harms the neurons (nerve cells) of the brain. It damages their axons,or filaments. It also throws neurotransmitters out of balance. Neurotransmittersare chemicals released by neurons that send messages from one neuron to thenext.

3. Muslims believe that the words in the Qur'an are the teachings of God as told toMuhammad through the angel Gabriel, messages that were transmitted over thecourse of about twenty-three years, beginning during that important prayerretreat in 609 CE.





4. Both rods were made from metal, which Franklin theorized would conduct theelectricity of the lightning. By moving from the first rod down the length of thewire, the lightning's energy could be safely transmitted into the ground, where itwould no longer pose a threat to one's home or body.

5. For example, when Proust tasted his cookie, the sense receptors on his tonguesent a message to his brain telling it how the madeleine tasted. The messages aresignals transmitted along nerve cells until they reach the brain. When the brainreceives these signals, it processes them, and controls the body's reaction to them.





Texts: “Alexander Graham Bell” “Louis Braille”


Paired Text Questions

Part 1: Use the article “Alexander Graham Bell” to answer the following questions:

1. Alexander Graham Bell completed the "first telephone call" on March 10, 1876. Describe the first telephone call.

2. What are two character traits that Alexander Graham Bell possessed? Use evidence from the text to support your

answer.

Part 2: Use the article “Louis Braille” to answer the following questions:

3. Louis Braille invented a system of bumps and dots called braille. What does braille allow blind people to do?

4. What are two character traits that Louis Braille possessed? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Part 3: Use the articles “Alexander Graham Bell” & “Louis Braille” to answer the following questions:

5. How were Alexander Graham Bell and Louis Braille similar? Make sure to address their character traits in your answer.

Use evidence from both texts to support your answer.

6. What are three character traits that make a good inventor? Use evidence from both texts to support your answer.

The Go-Kart

© 2013 ReadWorks

®, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Go-Kart

Michael and Sam had been neighbors for as long as they could remember, but they only just

started loving go-karts a few months before. Sam’s dad took the boys to the go-kart track for

the first time as soon as school let out for the summer, and since then, they had been obsessed

with getting their own go-kart. It would be a few years before Michael and Sam got their driver’s

licenses, and this seemed like the next-best thing. They would fantasize about go-karting down

their block and into the main street, competing with taxis, speeding bikes, and other cars for

room on the road. In these dreams they would wear old-fashioned brown helmets and vintage

airplane goggles, like in old video footage of the people who got to drive the first-ever cars.

One evening, Sam was talking about it—again—over dinner. “Wouldn’t it be great? We’d be

low to the ground so we could even drive under big trucks! We’d go so fast, we’d be like a blur

in all of the traffic. Can I get a go-kart for Christmas?”

Sam’s mom rolled her eyes and set down a helping of spaghetti and meatballs on his plate. “I

don’t think so,” she said. “Why don’t you and Michael just build one?”

After dinner, Sam went over to Michael’s house. “My mom had the best idea,” Sam said. “We

should build our own go-kart!”

Michael was also excited by the idea. His uncle John worked at an auto repair shop, and the

boys called him right away to ask if he had any spare parts he would give them, and if he could

help them: they had no idea how to build a car. John was thrilled that Michael and Sam were

interested, and promised to talk the boys through it later in the week.

The Go-Kart

© 2013 ReadWorks


That weekend, John came by Michael’s apartment with a bunch of different auto parts that

they could use for a go-kart, like a steering wheel, brakes, and an ignition pedal, as well as a

large poster board.

“The first thing we need to do is draw how you want the go-kart to look,” John said. He laid

the poster board flat on Michael’s kitchen table and looked at the boys expectantly.

Michael and Sam both agreed that they wanted the go-kart to be extremely fast, but other

than that, they had no idea how it should look. John showed them a few drawings. They

decided that a four-wheeler would be the best, with a long nose and an open top.

John wrote a list of materials that they would need. “You can get this stuff at a hardware store,”

he said. “Let me know when you have everything, and you can come out to the shop to build it.”

A few weeks later, the boys showed up at John’s auto shop with a cart full of materials to build

the go-kart. They had bought most of the hardware with chore money, but had found some of

it at a scrap yard by their school. They had tubing, plywood planks, bearings, bolts, and chains.

John told them he would provide the frame, petrol tank, driving shaft, engine, and seat—all

the objects they could get from an auto body shop. Michael, Sam, and John took over a corner

of the shop and began to build.

Soon they had a prototype go-kart. “Let me try it first,” Sam begged, grinning at Michael. He

jumped into the shiny new go-kart and revved the engine. He pressed his foot down on the

pedal, expecting the go-kart to shoot forward out of the garage and into the parking lot.

Instead, it crept like a snail towards the open garage door.

“Woah!” Sam said. “This is way too slow.” Sam stopped the kart and got out.

Michael nodded and said, “Yeah, I agree. Uncle John, how do we make it go faster?”

There were a few problems that the boys could fix, Uncle John said. First, the engine that

Michael and Sam had chosen—the biggest one—took up a lot of space and was very heavy, so

The Go-Kart

© 2013 ReadWorks


it probably dragged the go-kart down. Second, the design they had chosen was not ideal for

fast vehicles. Lastly, John said with a smile, it looked like Sam had forgotten to turn off the

emergency brake.

So the three guys got back to work. They scoured the auto repair shop for a smaller engine,

and found one in a small lawnmower that had been taken for disposal into the garage. They

had fun taking the lawnmower apart to get to the small, powerful engine inside. The second

problem was much more difficult to fix. Would they have to redesign the entire go-kart?

Together, they drew some other sample sketches that might make the go-kart less bottom-

heavy, and even considered taking away one of the wheels so that it would be a three-wheel

go-kart. Michael thought it would be a good idea to get lighter materials all around and keep

their original design, but John didn’t think that would work. Michael, Sam, and John needed to

think about ways to maximize the go-kart for its speed: what aspects of their original design

were unnecessary? The three of them came to the conclusion that it was probably the long

nose. It looked cool, but ultimately, what was more important to Michael and Sam?

They had welded the nose to the frame, and used a grinder to break the metal away from the

go-kart. When they were finally done, Michael stepped into the go-kart and put on the helmet

he and Sam had found at a used-clothing store. He snapped on a pair of swimming goggles,

revved the engine, and made sure to take the emergency brake off. All of a sudden, he sped

out into the parking lot, and Sam ran after him with a big smile.

aspect as · pect

Advanced Definition

noun

1. an element or part.

Several aspects of the speech deserve analysis.Its controversiality is the aspect of the case that roused so much public interest.

2. the appearance of something as seen from a particular perspective.

Here is a photograph of the front aspect of the church.

3. the point of view from which something is seen or considered, or the manner in which something is considered.

We are looking at the issue from completely different aspects.

4. facial expression.

Her angry aspect told us we'd better not say anything more.

5. in grammar, a category of verb inflections, such as past perfect and past progressive, that indicate whether an action or state isended or continues, is singular or repeated, and the like.

Walked and "was walking" are both past tense forms of the verb "walk," but they differ with respect to aspect.

Spanish cognate

aspecto: The Spanish word aspecto means aspect.


1. Building a bridge is no easy task. There are many aspects and elements that need to be examined before building can begin.

2. An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with one another as well as with nonliving things. One veryimportant aspect of an ecosystem is the energy that flows through it.

3. You’ve probably heard teachers and others tell you that getting 30 minutes of exercise a day or walking 10,000 steps helps youstay fit. "We’ve emphasized physical activity levels and not focused on the fun aspect," Keller admits.

4. “Being popular means that you have to prove yourself to others, or maybe that they don’t accept you for exactly who you are,”she says. “I’d rather have a few good friends and keep who I am than have too many friends and lose that aspect of myself.”

5. After starting the farm, Dr. Detzel began seeing many aspects of nature at work. Instead of driving around the farm, he usuallywalked, and he could feel the texture of the earth beneath his boots. In the winter, the farm became a blinding sea of white. Inthe summer, it turned into a lush sea of green.

6. Travis said she took great care to make sure that her translation of the document was fair and accurate. Many aspects of theConstitution are open to debate.

maximize max · i · mize

Advanced Definition

transitive verb

1. to increase or enlarge as much as possible.

Getting a strong education maximizes your opportunities for the future.The new machines helped the company maximize its production.

Spanish cognate

maximizar: The Spanish word maximizar means maximize.


1. Hybrid cars also maximize non-gas power by capturing energy that regular cars lose when slowing down or braking. Thatenergy helps recharge the cars’ batteries

2. However, by carefully planning the locations of renewable energy power plants, their harmful impact to the planet can beminimized and their renewable and sustainable benefits maximized.

3. While some flowers or even plants can self-pollinate, most need help from weather or animals to do it. Each plant has evolvedto maximize efficiency and effectiveness of reproduction.

prototype pro · to · type

Advanced Definition

noun

1. an original model on which later stages or forms are based or developed.

The company made several improvements to its prototype before launching their new model car.

2. that which provides an example, as by being the standard or worthy of emulation.

3. a primitive or prior form or species of biological organism; ancestor.

Spanish cognate

prototipo: The Spanish word prototipo means prototype.


1. Welcome to the car showroom of the future. Step right up and take a look at some of our new models... The cars of the future are already here as prototypes, and they don't look like Grandpa's pickup truck orAunt Sally's SUV.

2. Still comparing human innovations with birds in flight, the brothers changed each small part of their design. Some had giant wings; some came without tails. Many were still crashing, but the brothers tried not to become frustrated. During one winter, they returned home to Ohio, where they tried different ways of testing that weren’t so expensive. On some days, they could be seen pedaling bicycles equipped with wings down the streets and startling passersby. On others, they’d create tiny airplane prototypes to test in the Ohio wind.

3. There are countless ways to evaluate solutions with respect to how well they meet the particular criteria and constraints of an issue. Maybe the best way to test out a ramp would be to build one or more prototypes. Then you can experiment with different materials and location. Tests are usually designed to identify points of failure. In other words, you will want to submit yourramp to tough conditions to see if it will be successful even under these circumstances. Try out a particularly heavy wheelchair. Will your prototype support it?

4. Working on the Q.A. team is kind of like waking up every day and finding new ways to break stuff. I talk to the engineers to see what they’re trying to build. This week, it’s an interactive web page that letsstudents see different pieces of a movie by jumping to different parts of the world on a map online. Once they’ve got a prototype up and running, I create a fake person—a “test user”—on the computer.Instead of trying to break the map a hundred different ways myself, I turn my test user into its own program.

Blue Lightning


Blue Lightning By A.P. Raj

Sondra loved cars more than anything else. When she was a kid, she begged her dad to let her join the Boy Scouts, just so she could build a car to race in the Pinewood Derby. Her car was a jagged spike of pinewood painted a glittery, electric shade of blue. She named that car “Blue Lightning.” Blue Lightning didn’t win the Pinewood Derby, but it did come in 2nd place. Sondra had been so proud, and her dad was proud of her, too. She had doodled drawings of Blue Lightning all over her notebooks. She sometimes dreamt that Blue Lightning became a real car sitting out in her driveway, and she would get in and take it out for a drive. Even though she was too young, and had never driven a car, in those dreams she always knew exactly what to do. Driving Blue Lightning made her feel powerful and free. Then one lazy Saturday in spring, Sondra was flipping through a car magazine she liked, when an ad caught her eye:

AMATEUR GO‐KART RACERS, START YOUR ENGINES!

Do you LOVE cars? Do you have a passion for racing? Build your very own go‐Kart and enter the Go‐Go Derby! All experience levels welcome! Racers ages 13 and up

may enter with parental supervision.

Sondra had just turned 13 that fall. She screamed with delight and immediately ran to her dad to beg him for permission to enter. She was ready to build Blue Lightning, Mark II.

Blue Lightning


Her dad read the magazine ad and frowned. “I don’t know, Sondra,” he said. “Building a car for the Pinewood Derby was one thing, but a go‐kart? That’s a whole new level. It sounds kind of dangerous.” “Not if you help me!” she said. “That’s true. It could be a fun project. And we’d both learn a lot,” he said. “Exactly! So we can do it?” Sondra said. “Well, I’ll ask your mother what she thinks. And I want to know that you’re serious about it. So how about this: you do some research into how we’re actually going to build this thing, and come back to me in a week with a design.” Sondra jumped with joy. “You got it, Dad!” she said. She gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek, and went straight to her computer to start researching go‐kart designs. In a week, Sondra had a notebook full of drawings and notes about her project, from spending hours after school researching, thinking and planning. Blue Lightning, Mark II looked ready to go. Sondra’s design was a lot like the original Blue Lightning, except instead of pinewood, it would be made of steel. And of course, it would be a real vehicle that she could drive. Thrilled at the thought of building it, Sondra brought her sketches and notes to her dad. He put on his glasses and looked over her work, thinking. “These are some interesting ideas, honey,” he said. “I see you’ve designed this a lot like your Pinewood Derby car from a few years ago, even down to the lightning bolt shape you love so much.” “That’s right!” Sondra said, beaming. “Well, it will certainly look unique,” he said. “But how will it drive?” “What do you mean?” Sondra asked. “Well…” Her dad stopped to think. It seemed like he had something to say, but decided against it. “Tell you what. Instead of telling you what I think, why don’t we build Blue Lightning, Mark II the way you’ve designed it?”

Blue Lightning


Sondra was a bit confused, but she wanted to build the go‐kart more than anything, so she agreed. They took a trip to the hardware store to buy all the parts they needed: a lot of metal, engines, cables, brackets, bolts and screws. They had to stop at a specialty hobbyist store to pick up the steering wheel and the materials they needed to build the steering block—the accelerator and brake pedals, and, of course, a comfy seat for Sondra to sit in. Finally, they stopped at a sporting goods store to buy a helmet and pads for her to wear when she was driving. Back at home, they brought all their new stuff into the garage and went to work. Over two weekends of hard work, they turned Sondra’s sketches and notes into a real, working go‐kart. When they finally mounted the seat on Blue Lightning, Mark II, Sondra felt more proud than she had ever felt in her whole life. “She looks great!” Sondra said. “All we have to do now is the paint job!” “Before we do, why don’t we take it for a test drive?” her dad said. Sondra thought she heard some mischief in his voice and thought about how he had almost said something about her design, but had decided not to. What was he up to? “Okay,” she said. “Let’s do it!” So they took the second Blue Lightning out to a nearby parking lot, and Sondra took it for a spin. Her dad made sure she wore her helmet and pads, and watched her as she drove the go‐kart around the lot. She noticed that when she tried to go fast, she felt a lot of resistance from the wind. When she slowed down, she didn’t notice it as much. After she had her fun, she drove back to where her dad was standing. He was smiling like he expected something from her. “Well, that was fun!” she said. “But I think I know why you wanted me to take it for a test drive.” “Oh, do you?” he said. “Please share.”

Blue Lightning


“I noticed that there was a lot of push‐back when I would drive it fast,” she said. “Yes, and?” “And I think it’s because of the lightning bolt shape. The wind pushes in and kind of gets caught in the zigzagging part of the frame,” she said. “Very good!” her dad said. “So, why didn’t you tell me about that problem in the first place?” Sondra said. She was a little bit annoyed. Her dad laughed. “Where’s the fun in that? Didn’t I ever tell you the story about teaching someone to fish?” “’If you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day,’” Sondra said, mimicking a very wise tone her parents used when they were teaching her lessons. “’But if you teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a lifetime.’” “Exactly, kiddo,” he said. “You may be annoyed now, but I promise, you’ll thank me when you’re older.” Sondra rolled her eyes. “You always say that!” “It’s always true,” her dad said, laughing. “So, now what?” she said. “Now, we get ice cream. But after that, it’s back to the drawing board for you.” Sondra smiled. “Sounds good to me. Designing is half the fun anyway!” So Sondra went back to researching, sketching and taking notes. Her dad emailed her an article about aerodynamics: the science of how air interacts with solid objects. After she read it, she felt silly about her lightning bolt design. But her dad told her that sometimes, the only way we learn how to do something right is by doing it a few times first, and making silly mistakes along the way.

Blue Lightning


“You know who makes more mistakes than anybody?” he said. “Great inventors!” That inspired Sondra and she worked harder than ever. Her next design wasn’t shaped like a lightning bolt at all, but more like a Formula One racecar. She started to understand why they were designed the way they were. She showed her dad her new design, and he nodded with pride. Once again, they went to work, taking apart the first go‐kart they’d built and putting it back together again. When Sondra test‐drove the newest Blue Lightning, it came a lot closer to living up to its name. “What do you think, Dad?” she asked. “Do we need to go back to the drawing board again?” “You can always make improvements on a design,” he said. “But the race is in two weeks!” So they decided that Blue Lightning, Mark II was in racing condition, and painted it with the electric blue paint Sondra loved. When the time came to race in the Go‐Go Derby, Sondra wasn’t worried about whether she came in first place — in her mind, she had already won, by building something better than she had ever built before.

amateur a · ma · teur

Advanced Definition

noun

1. one who pursues an activity or is devoted to a study purely for intrinsic reward rather than monetary gain.

Her teacher thinks she's good enough to be a professional violinist, but she is happy being an amateur.

2. an athlete who receives no monetary prize, salary, or other payment for competition.

Olympic athletes, in general, are no longer required to be amateurs.

3. one who is unskilled in a given area or activity.

Don't trust your electrical work to amateurs; call in someone who knows what he's doing.

adjective

1. of or pertaining to an amateur or amateurs; not professional.

He loves to be involved in amateur theater and has no desire to be a professional actor.Our town's amateur theater puts on ten plays a year.

2. lacking or not demonstrating skill or competence.

It seemed like an amateur performance for a theater group supposedly made up of professionals.I apologize for that amateur rendition of a great song.

Spanish cognate

amateur: The Spanish word amateur means amateur.


1. The early evidence of damage to Thomas’s brain was alarming because Thomas was only in his early 20s and an amateurathlete.

2. Paola is something of an amateur coin collector. So every time she travels, she brings home some money from that part of theworld.

3. If you decide to go with tattoos or body jewelry, there are a few things to consider. If you try to cut corners by going to anamateur, you could expose yourself to serious infections such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis.

passion pas · sion

Advanced Definition

noun

1. any strong or intense feeling or emotion, esp. love, sexual desire, or hatred.

2. the object of such feeling.

3. strong enthusiasm or fondness for something, or the object of such enthusiasm.

4. an outburst of violent anger or other emotion.

Spanish cognate

pasión: The Spanish word pasión means passion.


1. Although rock climbing is her passion, she spends a lot of time cross-training.

2. His greatest passion in life was music. He poured his love into the notes he wrote.

3. At 37 years old, he still hopes to direct a film. But film editing has become both his passion and his full-time job.

4. Lina had never really joined in on her father’s passion for that type of music, but something about this particular song made herlisten more carefully.

resistance re · sist · ance

Advanced Definition

noun

1. the act or process of opposing or striving against.

The proposal to tear down the old library was met with resistance from the community.

2. the opposition posed by one force against another.

Vitamins help your body build resistance to disease.

3. (often cap.) an underground organization, as in France during World War II, that struggles against an occupying military power,usu. by sabotage and guerilla warfare.

During World War II, the French Resistance fought against the German army that was occupying France.

4. the characteristic of an electrical conductor that opposes the flow of current and transforms some of it into heat.

Spanish cognate

resistencia: The Spanish word resistencia means resistance.


1. When geologists study rocks, they often use the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. This scale allows us to characterize thescratch resistance of various minerals. A diamond is described as hard because it is extremely difficult to scratch. Scientistscan measure hardness with the Mohs scale and compare minerals to other minerals.

2. When you swim, you're working against the resistance, or pressure, of water. The resistance is about 800 times more than thatof air. This means that it takes much more effort to do an exercise in the water than on land. As your muscles work to pull youthrough the water, they get stronger and firmer.

3. Few non-bowlers know that a thin layer of mineral oil is applied to the first two-thirds of a bowling lane. Oil reduces friction, theresistance of objects to sliding. The oil is applied mainly to protect the lanes from damage. But it also has a huge impact on thegame because it affects the motion of the ball.

4. You also have to exercise against resistance to get definition. “You’ve got to get the muscle to grow a bit to create separationbetween the muscle and the tendons around it,” Comana says. So if you really want a six-pack, consider holding a medicineball to your chest during your crunches. Increase the weight over a period of weeks to sculpt your abs.

5. Dengue fever is caused by a virus, which the mosquito Aedes aegypti spreads through its bite. Until now, the best way tocontrol the disease has been to prevent contact between mosquitoes and humans, says Anthony James, a molecular biologistat the University of California, Irvine. One way to do that is to put up window screens. Another is to douse people and placeswith insecticides (chemicals that kill insects). Unfortunately, insecticides can harm other organisms, including beneficialinsects. And mosquitoes can develop a resistance to them over time.

Texts: “Blue Lightning” “The Go-Kart”



Part 1: Use the article “Blue Lightning” to answer the following questions:

1. When Sondra took her first go‐kart for a test drive, she noticed that there was a lot of push‐back when she drove fast.

What aspect of the go‐kart did Sondra think caused the push‐back?

2. How did Sondra solve the problem of the push‐back from the wind?

Part 2: Use the article “The Go‐Kart” to answer the following questions:

3. The boys’ first go‐kart did not go as fast as they wanted it to. One problem was that Sam had forgotten to turn off the

emergency brake while driving the go‐kart. What were two other problems that made the go‐kart slow?

4. How do the boys improve their go‐kart’s design to make it go faster? Give two details from the text to support your

answer.

Part 3: Use the articles “Blue Lightning” & “The Go‐Kart” to answer the following questions:

5. Compare the problem that Sondra had with her first go‐kart with the problems that Michael and Sam had with their

first go‐kart.

6. Compare the ways that Sondra and the boys solved the problems with their first go‐kart designs.

7. In “Blue Lightning,” Sondra’s dad tells her that “sometimes, the only way we learn how to do something right is by

doing it a few times first, and making silly mistakes along the way.” Give evidence from both texts to support this

statement.


Flying Blind

The red phone rings at 22:04 hours. State Trooper Ed Kierzwinski blinks and rubs his eyes. He spent the last twenty minutes staring into the radar monitor’s screen, and now its ghostly green circle burns the inside of his eyelids. He was watching this beautiful night turn to soup. One low bank of clouds moved in from Indianapolis. The other swept north from Louisville, drawing strength from the Ohio River like a man drinks a milkshake from a straw. The two storms met at New Lebanon and spread east over Dayton, gathering strength as they approached the Ohio State Patrol helicopter hangar at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Picking up the red receiver, Kierzwinski hears the first raindrops hit the hangar roof. As visibility drops to 800 feet, he knows the next phone call will be from the air traffic control tower in Dayton, grounding his helicopter for the night. “State Patrol,” he says, trying harder than usual to sound bored. The 911 operator is new, Kierzwinski knows, but she is efficient and well-trained. Car crash three miles north of Urbana on State Route 68. Two females, both in critical condition. Request transport to Columbus Children’s Hospital. Does State Patrol accept the mission? To stall, Kierzwinski takes a breath. Air Trooper 1 is a Bell 429 helicopter. Flat-out, it can make it to Urbana in nine minutes. He’d fly north-by-northeast, maybe a quarter-mile ahead of the storm’s face. Best case: He lands, loads the patients and takes off before the rain really hits. Worst case: The storm overtakes him. He’d be stuck trying to land an underpowered aircraft on a two-lane highway in heavy wind and rain, with no radar and no lights.


Kierzwinski flips the question around. Most crash victims near Urbana go to Springfield Regional, the closest hospital with a cramped emergency room. If these girls need transport all the way to the Level I trauma center, 45 miles away at Columbus Children’s, they must be 16 years old, maybe 17. And they’re in pretty bad shape. Beside the phone, the flight radio squawks with static. “Roger Dayton Tower, this is Air Medical Three. We are leaving Springfield Regional. Flying to base in Tipp City. Over.” Kierzwinski knows that voice. It’s Dale Domer, a pilot who was hired onto Air Medical when the private company opened its first base two years ago. Between his fake Southern accent and his coltish arrogance with a helicopter, Domer was a perfect hire for the guys who own Air Medical, whom Kierzwinski secretly considers a couple of halfwit cowboys. “Well, if they can fly in this stuff, we sure can,” Kierzwinski says before dropping the red receiver back in its cradle. Six minutes later, the rotors of Air Trooper 1 are spinning. The two flight nurses, Sam Shifton and Ariel Gupta, wipe raindrops from their foreheads as they cinch down their shoulder belts. Kierzwinski pulls the throttle grip towards his knee and the steering stick into his lap, and the helicopter jumps off the tarmac. He veers east to outrun the rain. Kierzwinski takes a left turn, aims his nose for Urbana, and looks up to see the full moon streaming in through the windscreen and lighting up the cockpit. He chuckles. If he were in his car, he’d flip the sun visor down. To the left he sees the moonlight bouncing off the storm wall. He thinks: That thing just got bigger. It’s six thousand feet tall now, with high winds pushing a knot of cloud forward from the main front like a boxer throwing a punch. Kierzwinski pulls the throttle. The Bell’s nose dips, and the helicopter shudders as it reaches 178 miles an hour, its maximum speed. Urbana comes into view. Kierzwinski uses the lights of Main Street to fly right up the town’s spine. Looking left, he sees the lights from the car lots on the west side of town become engulfed by the storm, turning the bellies of the clouds orange. “When we land, you guys are gonna have to MOVE,” Kierzwinski shouts to the nurses in back.


Finally he sees the ambulance. Kierzwinski climbs, slows, brings his tail round 180 degrees and drops his skids in the middle of the road. Gupta shoves the sliding door aside. The ambulance crew pushes one gurney forward. Together they lift the victim into the helicopter.

“Where’s the other one?” Kierzwinski asks. “She didn’t make it,” the paramedic yells back. Kierzwinski nods. The nurses fumble with the straps as they tie the gurney to the helicopter floor, which is jumping like a wild horse. “We’ve got wind!” Kierzwinski says. “Let’s go! Let’s go!” The nurses take their seats and Kierzwinski lifts off. The helicopter climbs, but slowly, fighting the storm. Kierzwinski thinks: I’m lifting, I’m lifting, we’re gonna make it. He sees the power line at the last possible moment. With the storm to his back he cannot climb any faster, and he cannot stop. He feels the impact before he hears it, and he knows he has hooked the power line with his skids. As Trooper 1 loses speed, time slows down. Kierzwinski pulls the stick with all his strength, hoping to break the line. The helicopter is temporarily suspended, roaring at full throttle but motionless in the sky. The radio comes to life. “This is Dayton Tower. Please be advised that all air traffic is suspended until further—”

Questions: Flying Blind


1

Name: Date: 1. Who is Ed Kierzwinski?

A a 911 operator B a helicopter pilot hired by Air Medical C a State Trooper helicopter pilot D a car accident victim

2. Which of the following best describes the setting of the story?

A It is early evening in the state of Ohio at a hospital. B It is mid-afternoon in the state of Ohio during a nice, sunny day. C It is night in the state of Ohio as a storm gets stronger. D It is night in the state of Ohio as a storm clears.

3. Which of the following statements most strongly supports the conclusion that Kierzwinski did not think Dale Domer was an excellent helicopter pilot?

A Dale Domer is flying to the base in Tipp City during the storm. B Domer had a fake Southern accent and coltish arrogance. C Dale Domer is a pilot who hired onto Air Medical when the private company

opened its first base two years ago. D Domer was a perfect hire for the guys who own Air Medical, whom Kierzwinski

secretly considers a couple of halfwit cowboys. 4. When Kierzwinski hears that Domer and his crew are flying their helicopter in the stormy weather, Kierzwinski says, “Well, if they can fly in this stuff, we sure can.” Based on this statement what is the best description of the relationship between Kierzwinski and Domer?

A respectful B competitive C full of hate D friendly

5. What is this story mainly about?

A what happens when State Trooper Kierzwinski responds to an accident during a dangerous storm

B why Ed Kierzwinski dislikes Dale Domer and the guys who own Air Medical C the advantages of operating a helicopter in good weather conditions D what happens when there is tension between two helicopter pilots who are hired

at different companies



2

6. The author ends the story with the following sentence: “‘This is Dayton Tower. Please be advised that all air traffic is suspended until further—’” By using this style of ending the author wants to leave the reader in

A tears B suspense C anger D a satisfied mood

7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Kierzwinski does not see the power line until the last possible moment; _________ he ends up hooking the power line with his helicopter skids.

A because B therefore C however D but

8. Near the end of the story the author writes, “Kierzwinski thinks: I’m lifting, I’m lifting, we’re gonna make it.” Explain whether Kierzwinski was correct about what was going to happen. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________



3

9. Explain whether the reader knows for certain what happened to Kierzwinski and his passengers. Use evidence from the text to support your answer. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 10. Explain the reasons why State Trooper Kierzwinski accepted the mission to fly, even though the weather was getting worse. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

impact im · pact

Definition

noun

1. the coming together of objects with great force.

The impact of the bus against the tree cracked the windshield.

2. a strong and powerful effect.

The senator’s speech on gun control had a great impact on voters.

Advanced Definition

noun

1. a forceful coming together of two objects or bodies.

The impact of the crash was strong enough to shake the building.

2. effect or influence.

His stirring speech had a great impact on the audience.My professor's impact on my thinking was deep and lasting.

transitive verb

1. to force or press closely into something.

Here is where the meteorite impacted the Earth.

2. to affect directly.

The scientists are studying how the dam has impacted the ecosystem of the river.The tragedy has impacted all our lives.

Spanish cognate

impacto: The Spanish word impacto means impact.


1. "If the virus becomes highly contagious among humans, the health impact in terms of deaths and sickness will be enormous,"says Dr. Shigeru Omi.

2. Using renewable energy is a good way to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, though renewable energies have some

negative impacts on the earth as well.

3. Some drugs are grown or manufactured in the United States. But just because they’re not connected to terrorism or traffickingdoesn’t mean they don’t have a harmful impact on society. Drug users are more likely to commit crimes such as theft or assault.And drug-related gang rivalries contribute to violence in cities across the country.

4. Although the friend and a third teen walked away, Bollier, now 27, wasn’t so lucky. The impact not only crushed his jaw, nose,and right eye but also snapped his neck, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down.

5. The collisions leave lasting impressions. Nearly every rocky body in the solar system has an odd feature that can be explainedby a crash, says Stewart. Impacts happen elsewhere in the universe too. Many exoplanets (planets that exist outside our solarsystem) are surrounded by telltale dust clouds that could have been caused only by collisions, she notes.

6. Energy usage is another environmental issue. Local foods travel a shorter distance to market, so less fuel is required to deliverthe food. However, notes Chin, the type of transportation matters. For a 100-mile trip, for instance, a typical pickup truck usesmore than 10 times the fuel per pound carried than a full semitrailer. Farming practices, water usage, and other factors affectfoods’ environmental impact too.

7. Human activity can have a negative impact on the environment. Humans destroy the habitats of animals and plants when theybuild cities and cut down forests. When people burn oil, coal, and natural gas, they can also change the climate.

8. Elsewhere on the track, two other cars careen toward each other. When they crash, both bumper cars reverse course. Theybounce backward, away from the point of impact. One driver’s head is knocked sideways, but these mini crashes are all fun. Noone is hurt and no one is crying.

9. A parachute, which slows the skydivers fall by creating air resistance, is required to reduce the kinetic energy the skydivergenerates as he falls. Consequently, once the parachute has opened, the skydiver makes a gentle impact with the groundwhen he lands.

visibility vis · i · bil · i · ty

Advanced Definition

noun

1. the state or fact of being able to be seen.

The mountain was not visible in the morning haze.The popular actress has made herself less visible these days.There is little visible difference between the products, but this one is far superior in quality.

2. the maximum distance from which something can be seen under certain conditions of atmosphere and weather.

Spanish cognate

visibilidad: The Spanish word visibilidad means visibility.


1. Blizzard Warning: A combination of snow and wind will create limited visibility, drifting snow, and dangerous wind chills.

2. Tornadoes form when strong winds spin. Wind is invisible, but we can see tornadoes because the spinning wind picks up water, dust and debris.

3. We can easily see liquids and solids around us, but most gases aren’t visible. We can’t see the air around us, but it is still madeof atoms that constantly move around freely in space.

4. Turning off the lights helps conserve electricity. Turning off the lights is also good for wildlife. A city that is bright at night canaffect the way birds migrate. At night a large, bright city like Houston is even visible from outer space!

5. Zooplankton can be so abundant in the whale shark’s feeding grounds, adds Motta, that visibility in the water is limited to 3 to4.5 meters (10 to 15 feet). “When a whale shark suddenly appears ahead, it’s like confronting a school bus underwater,” hesays.

Nighttime in Texas


Nighttime in Texas

It was approaching midnight when the cab dropped Dave off at the house. He had arrived at the San Antonio Airport in Texas a few hours earlier and spoken with Carlos, his host, while the plane was still on the runway.

“It’s the one with gardenias outside and the silver scooter parked in the driveway,” Carlos told him about the house, adding that he’d be inside watching the HBO series “The Wire.” “I’m addicted to that show,” he said. “Sometimes I stay up all night and watch eight or nine episodes in a row!”

But as Dave approached the house on foot, none of the lights seemed to be on. The street was dark, as if the police had imposed a strict curfew. A black pit bull in the yard next door eyed him suspiciously as he walked to the front door.

Dave rang the bell. No answer.

He rang again, this time waiting a full thirty seconds.

Nothing.

“Carlos?” he called, his voice echoing in the empty alley beside the house.

Dave walked around the house, making fruitless attempts to enter through the doors and windows. He pulled out his iPhone and double‐checked the address.

Carlos had spelled it out for him in a text message and an email: “154 South Pine Drive, San Antonio, TX.” He could smell the gardenias planted by the side of the entryway. In the driveway, the silver scooter glinted in the orange glow of the streetlight.

Nighttime in Texas


This was the place, all right. But where was his high school friend, whom he’d traveled all the way from Maine to visit for a spring break?

He called Carlos and left a message on his voicemail.

“Hey dude,” Dave said. “It’s me. Uh, I’m outside your house right now and can’t figure out where you are. I thought you’d be up watching TV. Hoping you didn’t forget about me!”

As Dave spoke, a police car drifted by, slowing noticeably as it passed. It was too dark to see through the windows, but it appeared as if the cop was watching him.

Dave was officially perplexed. Carlos had always been an extremely responsible guy, much more so than Dave, whose friends often referred to him as a “space cadet.” In high school, when the two of them played on a travel soccer team together, Carlos always brought an extra pair of socks and shin guards, in the likely event that Dave would leave one or the other—or both—behind.

Whereas Dave dressed sloppily, as if he’d just rolled out of bed, Carlos always dressed in crisply ironed button‐downs and jeans. As a teenager, he was always reading thick novels and talking about the characters as if they were people he knew in real life. “The thing about Raskolnikov is that he’s inherently a good man,” Dave remembered his friend saying of one of those characters, though of course he had no idea what he was talking about.

Carlos, in other words, was not the absent‐minded type, let alone the kind of guy who forgets his best friend is about to arrive at his house. And yet, by all appearances, this was what had happened.

“He must have zipped out for a soda at the Mobil station or something,” Dave thought, giving his pal the benefit of the doubt. True, it was odd to have done such a thing at midnight, he reasoned. But sometimes you just need a Slim Jim and a Mountain Dew. Dave understood the urge.

He sat down atop his suitcase and waited.

Fifteen minutes went by. Then thirty. Then forty‐five.

The pit bull in the yard next door did not stop staring at him the entire time. But while it had irked him at first, Dave found himself amazed at the dog’s capacity to concentrate. At a time when Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram were overtaking human beings’ attention spans, he thought, dogs had not lost their ability to focus. Or not this dog, at least.

Nighttime in Texas


Another fifteen minutes passed. Dave was seriously considering falling asleep on the doorstep when he saw a woman approach on the sidewalk. She appeared to be in her late twenties, and she wore a bathrobe and a pair of fuzzy pink slippers. Noticing Dave half‐asleep on the steps, she walked towards him.

Startled, Dave bolted upright. “This night is about to get even weirder,” he thought.

“How are you?” the woman called in a thick Texas accent as she made her way across the wet grass.

“Fine, just waiting for my friend here,” Dave said. By now he could see that she was wearing a nightgown beneath her robe.

“Carlos, right?” she said, stopping ten feet in front of him. She fixed him with a neighborly smile, which seemed out of place on this dark and desolate block.

“That’s right,” he said.

“How do you know him?”

“Oh, he’s an old friend,” Dave said. “Or at least I thought he was.” He let out an exhausted laugh. “I just flew in from Maine. He was supposed to meet me here about two hours ago, but I can’t seem to figure out where he is. And the house is locked up tight.”

“Well, Carlos has been acting a bit strange lately,” the woman said. “In fact, over the last few months, this whole neighborhood had been acting weird.”

Dave shifted uncomfortably on his suitcase.

“What do you mean, the whole neighborhood?” he asked.

“Well,” the woman said, casting a sidelong glance at the extra attentive pit bull next door. “There seems to be something going around. A kind of sickness. A night sickness, I guess you’d call it.”

“Night sickness?” Dave said.

“Mmmhmm,” the woman said, raising her eyebrow. “I’m Patricia, by the way.”

The two of them shook hands.

As Dave listened raptly, Patricia explained the recent spate of strange events. A few months before, she’d noticed one of her neighbors, a kindly retired dentist named Hans, walk past her

Nighttime in Texas


bedroom window at 3 o’clock in the morning. Patricia was rightly spooked. She leapt out of bed and ran outside to see what was going on.

She found Hans removing Coke cans from her recycling bin. Hearing her approach, he turned to look at her with a blank stare.

“He was clearly sleepwalking,” Patricia explained. She added that her father was a sleepwalker, so she recognized the symptoms. To wake him from his slumber, she drew near him and clapped loudly several times. Poor Hans suddenly came to his senses and gazed at her with a bewildered look. Patricia gently led him back to his house.

In the ensuing weeks, however, Patricia began to notice more neighbors walking slowly down the sidewalk in the middle of the night. “It started to look like that video for Michael Jackson’s song ‘Thriller,’” she said with a laugh. “Like a bunch of zombies walking down the street.”

No one knew what to make of it. The police were fielding dozens of calls per night. The reports were wildly varied but consistent in that they all occurred at night: “A strange man is pretending to hit golf balls in my backyard!” “There’s a woman in hair curlers pruning my hedges in the front yard!”

A local physician had determined that all of the intruders in question had been sleepwalking. But try as he might, he could not figure out the cause. “Mass sleepwalking,” he told the local newspaper, “is not a diagnosable condition.”

To prevent injury, the city police had issued a strict curfew of 11 o’clock. They also instructed all residents to bar their doors at night to prevent themselves—and others—from opening them in a sleepwalking state.

“Pretty weird, right?” Patricia said.

Dave took a moment to form a response.

“Yeah, yeah,” he finally managed. “I mean, that’s really crazy. I’ve never heard of anything like that!” After a pause, he continued, “So do you think Carlos—I mean, do you think he’s one of the . . . afflicted?”

“You know,” Patricia said, “I wouldn’t doubt it for a second. In fact, I was just coming over to check on him.”

Just then, the two of them wheeled around at the sound of a car skidding into the driveway. Dave recognized the beaten‐up black 1996 Jeep Cherokee.

Nighttime in Texas


Carlos sprang out of the driver’s side door.

“Dave!” he shouted. “Dude! I’m so sorry!” He ran across the grass to greet the two of them. “I got a flat tire on my way to the 7/11, and I had to hitch a ride to the nearest gas station. Took forever! My phone died just when I was leaving the house.”

Carlos clapped Dave on the shoulder. Dave uttered an unintelligible sound.

“I see you’ve met Patricia,” Carlos said, kissing her on the cheek. “She’s the girl I’ve been telling you about. We’re totally in love.”

As Patricia rolled her eyes, Dave stared at her, trying to discern whether she’d been lying.

“So . . . that stuff about the sleepwalking. Was that . . . true?”

“Oh yeah,” Carlos said, shaking his head. “Whole city seems to be coming down with it.” He paused. “You’re not scared of the dark, are you?”

Questions: Nighttime in Texas


1

Name: _____________ Date: _______________________ 1. Why does Dave go to Texas?

A to take a break from Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram B to meet a woman named Patricia C to see the sleepwalkers he has heard so much about D to visit his friend Carlos

2. “Nighttime in Texas” could best be described as which of the following?

A a fairy tale with an unhappy ending B a mystery with a surprise ending C a biography that tells the true story of a man named Dave D a science fiction story set in the future

3. What evidence from the story suggests that Carlos is not at home?

A None of the lights in Carlos’s house are on. B A pit bull in the yard next door eyes Dave suspiciously. C There are gardenias outside and a silver scooter in the driveway. D Carlos texts and emails his address to Dave.

4. How can Patricia best be described?

A scared and confused B watchful and suspicious C sneaky and untruthful D kind and friendly

5. What is this story mostly about?

A Carlos’s trip to the gas station B a sleepwalking trend that’s affecting a neighborhood in Texas C Dave’s first night in Texas without Carlos D Hans’s sleepwalking patterns



2

6. Read the following sentences: “To prevent injury, the city police had issued a strict curfew of 11 o’clock. They also instructed all residents to bar their doors at night to prevent themselves—and others—from opening them in a sleepwalking state.” What does the word “curfew” mean in the sentence above?

A rule B punishment C time when people must leave their houses D time when people have to be inside their houses

7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Carlos gets a flat tire; _______, he is not at home when Dave arrives.

A in the end B however C as a result D for example

8. What strange activity in the neighborhood does Patricia tell Dave about? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________



3

9. Dave asks Patricia whether she thinks Carlos might be one of the people suffering from the sleepwalking condition. At this point in the story, why might Dave wonder whether Carlos is suffering from the sleepwalking condition? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 10. How might Dave feel when Carlos finally appears? Support your answer with evidence from the story. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

perplexed per · plexed

Advanced Definition

adjective

1. puzzled, confused, or uncertain.

2. of a subject or situation, complicated or confused.

Spanish cognate

perplejo: The Spanish word perplejo means perplexed.


1. Jamal left his science class perplexed. Of course he had heard of global warming and global climate change, but he hadn’tever given it much thought.

2. As Dave spoke, a police car drifted by, slowing noticeably as it passed. It was too dark to see through the windows, but itappeared as if the cop was watching him. Dave was officially perplexed.

Texts: “Flying Blind” “Nighttime in Texas”



Part 1: Use the article “Flying Blind” to answer the following questions:

1. Once the nurses get the victim into the helicopter, Kierzwinski lifts off. What happens to the helicopter as it lifts off at

the end of the story?

2. Read the last two sentences of this story: "'This is Dayton Tower. Please be advised that all air traffic is suspended

until further—'" What feeling does the author create by ending the story with this incomplete statement? Use details

from the story to support your answer.

Part 2: Use the article “Nighttime in Texas” to answer the following questions:

3. After waiting for Carlos for two hours, Dave begins to wonder whether Carlos has the night sickness that Patricia

described. Why was Carlos actually late to meet Dave?

4. Read the ending of the story: "As Patricia rolled her eyes, Dave stared at her, trying to discern whether she'd been

lying. 'So... that stuff about the sleepwalking. Was that... true?' 'Oh yeah,' Carlos said, shaking his head. 'Whole town

seems to be coming down with it.' He paused. 'You’re not scared of the dark, are you?'

What feeling does the author create by ending the story with this question? Support your answer with evidence from

the text.

Part 3: Use the articles “Flying Blind” & “Nighttime in Texas” to answer the following questions:

5. Suspense is a feeling of excitement or anxiousness about what is going to happen next. Which of these stories creates

a stronger feeling of suspense with its ending? Use details from both texts to support your answer.

6. How might an author create a suspenseful ending in a story? Use evidence from both texts to support your answer.


Urban Farms Susannah Edelbaum

Many people wrongly think that cities don’t have farms and that fruits and vegetables are only grown in the country. Believe it or not, there are more and more urban farms popping up in cities all over the world. Alexandra Sullivan, a food systems researcher in New York City, studies urban agriculture. Urban agriculture is another name for farming and gardening in a city environment. Ms. Sullivan studies everything from tiny gardens in empty lots between buildings to bigger fields that have been planted and cultivated. According to Ms. Sullivan, “Urban agriculture has existed since cities have, across the world.” The number of humans living in urban areas, or cities, is increasing. The amount of people who want to garden in urban areas is also rising. Ms. Sullivan says, “In small gardens, on rooftops and indoors, city residents grow fruits, vegetables, grains, and herbs, and raise animals to produce dairy, eggs, honey, and meat. City residents use these foods as supplements [additions] to food produced by rural agriculture.” Even though some people who live in urban areas grow crops, urban residents still need to rely on food grown in rural areas. This is because a city doesn’t have enough space to grow enough food for everyone living in it.


In New York City, urban farmers have come up with many different ways to grow their own produce, even though there isn’t a lot of room. For example, Brooklyn Grange is a farming operation that has two rooftop vegetable farms in New York City. All together, the farms are made up of 2.5 acres of rooftop space. This makes Brooklyn Grange one of the largest rooftop farming operations in the world. Brooklyn Grange grows tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, kale, chard, herbs, carrots, radishes, and beans. The farming company sells its vegetables to local residents and restaurants. And because the farms are on rooftops, they are specially adapted to their urban location. They use available space that is not needed for anything else. As more urban farmers find ways to grow food in cities, urban residents will be better able to get fresher ingredients for their meals.


1

Name: Date:

1. What is urban agriculture?

A farming and gardening in the country B a term for cities that have farms

C farming and gardening in a city environment D a method of growing food indoors

2. What does the passage describe?

A how to grow potatoes and beans on a roof B agriculture in urban environments

C the history of urban agriculture D technology used in urban agriculture

3. Urban agriculture cannot serve as the only food source for a large city. What evidence

from the passage supports this statement?

A “This is because a city doesn’t have enough space to grow enough food for everyone living in it.”

B “In New York City, urban farmers have come up with many different ways to grow their own produce, even though there isn’t a lot of room.”

C “‘In small gardens, on rooftops and indoors, city residents grow fruits, vegetables, grains and herbs, and raise animals to produce dairy, eggs, honey

and meat.’” D “Brooklyn Grange grows tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, kale, chard, herbs,

carrots, radishes, and beans.”

4. Based on the text, what is a common challenge urban farmers face?

A Growing produce during water shortages. B Keeping urban farms safe from city residents.

C Fighting against cities’ laws that ban urban agriculture. D Finding the right space to grow their produce.

5. What is this passage mostly about?

A farming in city environments B the advantages of urban agriculture

C how people can begin their own urban farm D the rooftop gardens of Brooklyn Grange


2

6. Read the following sentence: “In New York City, urban farmers have come up with

many different ways to grow their own produce, even though there isn’t a lot of room.”

What does “produce” most nearly mean as used in this sentence?

A foods grown in the country

B foods made with sugar C fruits and vegetables

D desserts and drinks

7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.

The number of people living in urban environments is increasing. ________, the number of people in cities who want to start urban farms and gardens is increasing.

A As a result B In addition

C Initially D However

8. How long has urban agriculture existed?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________


3

9. Give an example of a place where urban farmers can grow their own produce.

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

10. Explain how and why urban farms adapt to their city environment. Support your

answer using information from the passage.

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

agriculture ag · ri · cul · ture

Definition

noun

1. the science or activity of farming. Agriculture includes raising crops and animals for food.

Advanced Definition

noun

1. the raising of crops and livestock, or the science connected with improving the processes involved.

With improved methods of farming, agriculture flourished in the area.With little industry or technology, the country relies on agriculture for its primary means of support for its people.

Spanish cognate

agricultura: The Spanish word agricultura means agriculture.


1. The second third of this century has been a time of proud achievement. We have made enormous strides in science andindustry and agriculture. We have shared our wealth more broadly than ever.

2. Over the next thousand years, the people of the Southwest settled down gradually. They stopped living in caves and shallowpits, and began building homes. They moved from a strictly hunter-gatherer culture to one increasingly dependent onagriculture, growing beans and domesticating animals like turkeys.

3. Ancient Egyptians are now revered as the masters of desert agriculture, for their irrigation technology allowed them to cultivatecrops during the dry months, from a fall-season sowing to springtime harvest.

4. “It is imperative that we increase honey bee survival both to make beekeeping profitable,” the statement noted, “but moreimportantly to meet the demands of U.S. agriculture for pollination and thus ensure of [sic] food security.”

5. Believe it or not, soil is actually a valuable and nonrenewable resource, as it contains nutrients and minerals crucial foragricultural productivity.

urban ur · ban

Advanced Definition

adjective

1. of or pertaining to a city or town.

2. situated or living in a city.

3. typical of or accustomed to the city or city life.

Spanish cognate

urbano: The Spanish word urbano means urban.


1. Those that survived were so poor that they had little choice but to stay in whatever city the boat they traveled on docked at. Theurban areas where they ended up settling were very different from Ireland, for reasons beyond the geography and color of thelandscape.

2. Deforestation of lands for agriculture and development has rendered large regions of the world unproductive. The effect isamplified in areas that are used for urban development, where the ground is covered with a layer of asphalt or concrete.

3. The previously hilly island that had thousands of trees on it has simply been exchanged for an urban ecosystem containingdifferent things that serve the same function as many others that are called more “natural.”

4. As of 2013, in this neighborhood, a rise in gentrification coexists with the area’s history of poverty, homelessness, and streetcrime. As is not uncommon in affordable, residential, semi-urban areas by large cities, an influx of creative professionals hasbegun to change the character of the neighborhood.

5. After the gold rush, San Francisco was the largest city in the United States west of the Mississippi until it was overtaken by LosAngeles in 1920. However, the city continues to support a large urban population and owes much of its success to both itshistory and unique location.

Valley Nuts


Valley Nuts Michael Stahl

If you have ever eaten an almond in your life, you may be aware that it is one of the heartiest nuts available. Almonds are some of the healthiest nuts a person can bite into, and fortunately, they are also among the cheaper nuts one can buy. There are a few things you may not know about almonds, though. For example, you may not realize that almonds are not really nuts at all! In fact, they come from the fruits of almond trees. Almonds are in the pits of those fruits, which actually makes them seeds. To get at them, the stone‐like pit has to be broken open. What is inside those pits is what we usually call the almond nut. Another thing you might not know is where almonds come from. Chances are if you are eating (and enjoying!) an almond at this moment, it was grown in California, USA. Almonds were not always grown there, though, and the story of how those seeds were made possible is quite incredible. When the Spanish first settled in California, they actually shipped almond trees there. For some time, the Spanish took care of those trees and grew almonds to be eaten. When these Spanish settlers left, though, the almond trees were not looked after. Then, in the mid‐1800s, almond trees were brought to America again, but this time, to the Northeast. Local farmers knew that California would be a better place for the trees because it was warmer there throughout the year. At that time, California’s population was growing fast because of the discovery of gold. So, the almond trees were moved again and planted in California’s Central Valley where there were plenty of new settlers to watch over them. The Central Valley runs in the middle of the very long state. It is a 450‐mile stretch of flatland that has become very important to the United States because of the many farms that now exist. Over 230 different types of crops are grown in that area, including tomatoes, grapes, cotton, apricots, and, of course, almonds. Six thousand different almond growers live in California’s Central Valley alone. They provide about 70 percent of the world’s almond supply.

Valley Nuts


In 1933, the United States began the Central Valley Project with the goal of directing water from sources in the northern parts of the state—where there was a lot of rainfall and flooding from time to time—to the Central Valley, which, in certain parts, was even considered a desert and didn’t have enough water for agriculture. Water would be brought in from other states like Colorado, home to the lengthy Colorado River. A tremendous series of aqueducts, canals and pump plants were built. Manmade reservoirs as big as large lakes were constructed; new rivers were dug too. This project went on through six different decades. All of this water now helps to irrigate over 3 million acres of farmland. So, even though a large portion of the state is warm, sunny and dry almost all year, the manmade water system of the Central Valley Project helped to make California one of the biggest providers of food to the country and the world. Next time you bite into an almond, think about all of the hard work and thoughtfulness that went into making that nut. And then, remember it’s not a nut, but a seed.

agriculture ag · ri · cul · ture

Definition

noun

1. the science or activity of farming. Agriculture includes raising crops and animals for food.

Advanced Definition

noun

1. the raising of crops and livestock, or the science connected with improving the processes involved.

With improved methods of farming, agriculture flourished in the area.With little industry or technology, the country relies on agriculture for its primary means of support for its people.

Spanish cognate

agricultura: The Spanish word agricultura means agriculture.


1. "We could produce more cows with the same amount of feed," Miner told WR News. "Agriculture will be made more efficient."

2. Rich land and a mild climate determined the future of the Southern Colonies: agriculture. The Southern Colonies were basedon farming, especially tobacco farming.

3. “In my opinion, it’s not possible to have the lifestyle we enjoy and rely only on locally grown foods,” says Trevor Suslow, anagricultural scientist at the University of California, Davis.

4. The U.S. Department of Agriculture held the taste test. That group wants to help schools find ways to serve healthful foods andmeet the new dietary guidelines.

5. When researchers at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute Agriculture Program, also known as Virginia Tech, started work on a soilenhancement research project, they kept their minds open. The project was focused on the possible uses of biochar, charcoalused specifically for agricultural and other environmental applications.

6. Alexandra Sullivan, a food systems researcher in New York City, studies urban agriculture. Urban agriculture is another namefor farming and gardening in a city environment. Ms. Sullivan studies everything from tiny gardens in empty lots betweenbuildings, to bigger fields that have been planted and cultivated.

7. As soon as Florida became a state in 1845, its legislature asked permission from Congress to drain the Everglades. Canalswere dug to remove or redirect the water. Land that dried out was reclaimed for agriculture or building purposes. Thisreclamation allowed for significant development in south Florida. Sugar farmers moved into the area and prospered.

aqueduct aq · ue · duct

Advanced Definition

noun

1. a channel built to convey water from a long distance.

2. a bridgelike structure designed to carry a waterway or pipe across a river or valley.

Spanish cognate

acueducto: The Spanish word acueducto means aqueduct.


1. Will the bridge be carrying water, like an aqueduct bridge?

2. By developing an arch capable of supporting huge amounts of weight, they laid the groundwork for some of the most importantadvancements in architectural history. The arch became a vital feature of bridges, gates, sewers, and aqueducts, which in turnwere integral to the modernization of cities.

irrigate ir · ri · gate

Definition

verb

1. to bring in water for land or crops.

The farmer irrigated the dry land so he could grow corn.

Advanced Definition

transitive verb

1. to water by artificial means, as by pumping and spraying, or by man-made channels from a natural source of water.

Farmers have to irrigate this dry land in order to grow crops.

2. to wash out or spray during a medical or dental procedure.

The dentist irrigates the gums to dislodge food particles.

Spanish cognate

irrigar: The Spanish word irrigar means irrigate.


1. People drink the water, use it for cooking, and irrigate their farm fields with it.

2. For decades, the people of the United States of America knew that the Colorado River would be a tremendously usefulresource. The Colorado River was used to irrigate farmlands for miles, which brought thousands upon thousands of settlers tothe Southwest region.

3. New irrigation systems also can reduce water consumption. Traditional irrigation systems spray water over an entire field, butmuch of it evaporates before the plants can soak it up. Newer drip irrigation systems supply water directly to the plants’ roots sothat less water is lost to evaporation.

4. Farmers in those areas have to dig more and deeper wells to extract enough water for their fields, Goeke says. “As the waterlevels drop, you have to pull the water from ever-greater depths,” he says. “It’s more expensive to irrigate.” In some places,farmers have abandoned their wells altogether.

5. Egypt gets little rain. Ancient Egyptian farmers relied on the annual flooding of the Nile River to irrigate their fields.

Texts: “Urban Farms” “Valley Nuts”



Part 1: Use the article “Urban Farms” to answer the following questions:

1. Why do urban residents need to rely on food grown in rural areas?

2. Read this sentence from the article.

“In New York City, urban farmers have come up with many different ways to grow their own produce, even though there

isn’t a lot of room.”

What is the way that Brooklyn Grange has come up with to grow its own produce?

Part 2: Use the article “Valley Nuts” to answer the following questions:

3. Before 1933, what did parts of California’s Central Valley not have enough water for?

4. Read this statement from the article.

“...the manmade water system of the Central Valley Project helped to make California one of the biggest providers of

food to the country and the world.”

Explain how the Central Valley Project helped to make California one of the biggest providers of food to the country and

the world. Support your answer with information from the article.

Part 3: Use the articles “Urban Farms” & “Valley Nuts” to answer the following questions:

5. Compare the challenge of growing food in urban areas today with the challenge of growing food in California’s Central

Valley before 1933.

6. How are the Brooklyn Grange and the Central Valley Project similar? In your answer, be sure to discuss how both the

Brooklyn Grange and the Central Valley Project addressed the challenge of growing food in a particular area. Use

evidence from both articles to support your comparison.

The Tree House


The Tree House Jaclyn Einis

Billy gripped tightly as he reached for the next wood plank. Each step was nailed into the

large oak tree about one foot above the last. But, near the top, they thinned out with gaps left

where some of the old, rotting pieces had fallen off.

Billy struggled to the top and pulled himself into the tree house, bringing down a wall of

spider webs with his face as he entered. Swatting and spitting the webs away, he glanced

around. He had psyched himself up for something big and felt simultaneously relieved and

disappointed to find a boring, empty room. No pile of gold, no skeletons, no lavish bed.

He sat down and let his legs swing outside the open doorway, sending tingles of fear up

his body like the top of a rollercoaster hill. He spotted Gramps’ house through the trees. Every

time Billy visited his grandfather, he would go exploring the first chance he had. Gramps lived

only a few hours’ drive from New York City, but his mossy surroundings felt a world away from

Billy’s apartment.

It was getting dark earlier, and Billy was surprised to see the sun already starting to set.

His stomach grumbled for dinner, confirming that he’d lost track of time. A faded oriental rug

sat at the center of the room. The floorboards creaked as Billy stepped to the rug, touching its

intricate pattern. It was oddly warm for a rug up in a chilly tree house.

The Tree House


He started to walk across the rug, but suddenly his knees went weak, his stomach flew to

the sky, and his scream got lost in his throat. By the time he understood he was falling, that the

surrounding blackness wasn’t the nighttime air, but the inside of a hollow tree, he had landed.

How Billy didn’t break his arms, legs, and neck was a mystery to him, but it felt more like

he’d landed on a cloud covered in tufts of grass than on a hard forest floor. His eyes adjusted to

the dark, and he slowly rose. As he reached out to touch the bark in front of him, it disappeared.

He was back in the forest, but now it was bathed in a golden light, and the autumn foliage

was once again green. Something scurried past, brushing up against Billy’s foot. Billy gasped, and

the critter stopped. A chipmunk! he thought. Just a normal, adorable chipmunk. Maybe he’d

fallen asleep outside, and the whole tree house thing had just been a strange dream.

The chipmunk turned around and winked. If this was a dream, it was not over. The

chipmunk nodded its head toward the right, looking directly at Billy, before scampering off in

the same direction. Without thinking, Billy followed the chipmunk between pine trees, under

and over fallen trunks, through an archway of leaves, and into a majestic meadow underground.

Billy’s new friend joined a group of chipmunks up on a branch. Something poked his hip.

“An elf!” Billy exclaimed, looking wide‐eyed at the bearded figure below.

“Excuse me?” the little man asked, pulling down his pointed hat, which had nearly fallen

off as he tipped his head up in horror.

“Sorry, that was rude. Hello, I’m Billy.”

“And I’m a gnome, not an elf! Can’t you see?”

Billy looked at the little man’s pointed shoes. They seemed pretty elf‐like to him. Then

he recalled one of the bedtime stories Gramps used to tell him when he was younger about

the people who lived underground. Gnomes lived underground. Elves stayed above ground.

“Right!” Billy said, “You’re a gnome. Clearly.”

Tiny cheers erupted all around him, and Billy realized he was surrounded by gnomes.

The Tree House


“The name’s Gruff,” said the gnome, shaking three of Billy’s fingers with a strong grip.

“Now, we don’t have much time. Tie these together,” he said, handing Billy a dandelion and

bright green leaves with long stems.

Billy tied the flower and leaf stems together, while Gruff and a few other gnomes

continued the chain, forming a small circle of flowers and leaves.

“It’s ready. Kneel down,” Gruff said.

Billy complied, and Gruff placed the crown on his head. Billy still felt clueless, but he was

enjoying the mystery of it all.

“Thanks,” Billy said. “Now what?”

“Now it’s time for you to go. Just know that these flowers will never wilt and these

leaves will never crumble. On the days when life feels boring and gray, let this crown be a

reminder that the world is full of surprises.”

Billy loved his present. As he leaned in to give Gruff a hug, the gnomes knocked him into

a pile of leaves. His whole body was sucked into the pile like dust into a vacuum. There was a

flash of black, a warm softness hugging his body, and then the feeling of cold, wet leaves

beneath him.

He was back in the forest. It had rained, but he was dry. He looked up. This was the tree

he had climbed, but there was no ladder, no tree house. Billy stumbled back to Gramps’

house, where Gramps was putting dinner on the table.

“You’re back!” he smiled, “And just in time for dinner.”

Billy scratched his head, realizing the crown was still there. Gramps was staring right at it.

His smile widened. “Make sure you don’t climb trees in the rain, Billy. It can be very dangerous.”

hollow hol · low

Definition

adjective

1. having an empty space on the inside.

Basketballs are hollow.

2. curving in or down.

The hungry child has hollow cheeks.We hid in a hollow place in the ground.

Advanced Definition

adjective

1. having an empty space on the inside; not solid within.

The large chocolate bunnies are hollow, but the smaller ones are solid.There were fungi growing inside the hollow log.

2. curved inward or downward; concave, sunken, or depressed.

He had hollow circles around his eyes.The animal dove into a hollow place in the ground

3. lacking real substance, value, or meaning; insincere or false.

For all her efforts, she received only hollow praise from her jealous classmates.

4. of a sound, dull or deep, like the note made by striking on a large, empty container.

There was a hollow sound when I tapped against the wall.

noun

1. an empty space inside something; hole; cavity; gap.

She left a note and some money for him in the hollow of a tree.

2. a low or sunken spot or area, esp. a small valley.

Our home was in the hollow, surrounded by hills.

transitive verb

1. to make hollow (often fol. by out).

The woodcarver hollowed out a block of wood.

2. to shape or form by making a material hollow (often fol. by out).

He hollowed a figurine out of a block of wood.

intransitive verb

1. to become hollow.

adverb

1. in an empty or hollow manner.


1. He started to walk across the rug, but suddenly his knees went weak, his stomach flew to the sky, and his scream got lost in histhroat. By the time he understood he was falling, that the surrounding blackness wasn’t the nighttime air, but the inside of ahollow tree, he had landed.

2. Bamboo is a grass that can grow 100 feet high. It has hollow green stalks. Giant pandas peel off the leaves and stems to eat.

3. The first woodwind instruments were hollow pieces of wood. One end was open and the other end was closed. By blowing intothe open end, people made whistles.

4. Some ants live in special plants known as ant plants. Those plants have hollow parts where the ants can live. Something thatis hollow has empty space inside.

5. Can you tell from the picture that didgeridoos are made of wood? Sometimes, they are made from tree trunks or branches thattermites hollowed out. Other times, people hollow out the log themselves by using hot coals or long, hot sticks.

majestic ma · jes · tic

Advanced Definition

adjective

1. regal, imposing, or stately; of great dignity or grandness.

The young future queen was taught to walk with majestic bearing.The mountains looked majestic in the distance.

Spanish cognate

majestuoso: The Spanish word majestuoso means majestic.


1. The bald eagle is flying high! This majestic bird has clawed its way back from the edge of extinction, or dying out.

2. These majestic birds of prey, which were on the verge of extinction, are making a comeback across the United States. Somehave even moved to New York City.

3. The ferry sailed past the impressive Statue of Liberty. I imagined how my great-grandfather must have felt when he first saw themajestic lady with the golden torch.

4. Across the aisle, her older brother Luis sat with his arms loose and relaxed in his lap. He chatted with their father about the hotsprings and majestic mountains they were going to see in Montana, where they were headed on vacation.

The Mountain


The Mountain

There are four peaks to climb until Manny reaches the top of the mountain. Each ledge is thinner

and more dangerous than the last. Thankfully, he has a strong cane. He uses the cane to pull

himself up. The climb is cold and snowy.

Day turns to night and back to day again. A strong gust of wind threatens to blow him off‐

course. But he persists.

The last thing Manny remembers is opening his eyes at the bottom of the mountain. He

doesn’t remember how he got there. To make things even stranger, he is wearing a fancy

tuxedo.

The woman he loves is at the top of the mountain, waiting. He can hear her sweet voice,

singing.

He remembers that she is waiting for him, but he doesn’t remember anything else. Manny

guesses he must have had an accident.

Maybe I hit my head and now I have amnesia! he thinks.

The Mountain


The snow is thick and cold. It gets in his mouth as he climbs. He must be hungry because it

tastes sweet like sugar.

“Hello! Is anyone there?” Manny asks.

“Hello! Is anyone there?” he hears back. It’s the sound of his own voice—an echo coming back

at him.

“I love you! I’m waiting for you!” he hears. Now this, this is not his voice. This is the sound of

his love calling for him.

He climbs higher and higher. Closer and closer. His arms ache from pulling. His tuxedo is

covered in snow. Manny is soaking wet and exhausted. But he is also determined to get to the

top.

“I love you! I’m coming!” he calls back.

He hears what he thinks is the faint sound of laughter. Deep and booming. The laughter of the

gods?

Suddenly, the mountain is flooded with light. It’s as if the sun were behind a door that was

flung open suddenly.

The mountain begins to spin, and Manny hangs on with all his might.

“Why is this happening?” he cries. But no answer comes.

The mountain spins and spins. The room spins and spins. It’s bright and then dark again. He

sees trees and bright lights. Manny closes his eyes and falls off the mountain. He fears this

could be the end.

The Mountain


When he lands, it is warm and soft. He feels himself lifted through the air. It is as if fate has

saved him. The next words he hears are:

“Whoops, that was a close call. We almost lost our groom!”

“Good catch!” says another voice.

Manny opens his eyes and find himself on top of the mountain. Bella! The woman he loves! He

rubs the snow from his eyes. The whirlwind had somehow picked him up and placed him right

next to her.

Bella stands in a pile of white snow, wearing a beautiful wedding dress. Manny laughs because

he’s soaking wet and dirty, covered in sticky snow.

He kisses her and she giggles. “You taste like candy!” she says. “I’m so glad you’re back! I

thought you would miss the wedding!”

“Wedding?” Manny says. “I don’t remember! Are we getting married?”

“Oh no! Not us,” Bella says, laughing. “Them!”

She points to the sky, and for the first time he sees everything. There is a skylight and sunshine.

There is music playing. And people. Giant people!

Manny screams and falls back into the snow. Giants! As tall as the mountain! Taller! They come

by and put their faces, with huge eyeballs as big as Manny’s head, right up to him.

He thinks back to the laughter he heard before and the sunlight, suddenly so bright. Gods! It’s

all the work of Gods.

Suddenly, he is lifted up into the air. A giant hand is coming for him. This is surely the end now.

The Mountain


A giant eye, a giant mouth. He is about to be eaten!

And then he sees it, a giant… napkin?

He hears Bella laughing below him as the soft napkin cleans his ears, his face, and his suit.

When he is completely clean, he is placed back on top of the mountain’s snowy peak. He

stands upright next to Bella, and she holds his hand. The giant walks away as if nothing unusual

at all has happened.

“You look beautiful,” Bella says. “All clean! Are you ready?”

Music starts to play. Manny hears a voice say: “Introducing the bride and groom!”

The mountain is moving through the air, soaring, rolling. Bella grabs his hand tightly and

whispers, “Get ready.”

One of the giants leans down and pats his head. He notices she looks just like Bella. She’s

dressed in a beautiful white gown. This giant is also a bride.

“You’re beautiful, little man!” the giant says. At that, she takes out a giant knife.

The mountain tips slightly, as if a slice is being cut out of it. He sees the bride feeding cake to

the groom. The groom takes a big bite, and she smears frosting all over his face.

That’s why the snow tasted so sweet, Manny thinks. It’s not snow at all. It’s cake frosting!

The snowy mountain is wheeled back into the corner, and Bella and Manny are finally alone together. “I love you!” Manny says, and he takes her hand and kisses her sweetly. The kiss is every bit as sweet as the cake they are standing on. Two wedding cake toppers in love.

groom

Definition

noun

1. a man on his wedding day.

The groom kissed the bride.

verb

1. to make clean and neat in appearance.

He went upstairs to groom himself before dinner.She groomed the horse after her ride.

Advanced Definition

noun

1. a man who is about to be or has just been married; bridegroom.

The groom waited nervously until the bride appeared.The bride and groom will spend their honeymoon in Hawaii.

2. one employed to take care of horses or keep a stable.

The groom entered the stall and patted the horse.

3. any of a variety of officers serving the British royal household.

transitive verb

1. to attend to the cleanliness and neatness of.

He groomed himself carefully before the interview.Don't forget to groom your nails.The cat grooms itself by licking its fur.

2. to wipe down, brush, and care for (a horse).

She groomed the horse after it had been ridden.

3. to prepare for a particular position, promotion, or the like.

He is grooming a successor as leader of the party.



1. The kitten seemed unconcerned with this information. He plopped down onto a bunch of pillows on the couch and began togroom his paws.

2. Monkeys can make friends with other troop members by grooming them. They use their fingers to comb and clean each other'sfur.

peak

Definition

noun

1. the highest part of a mountain, or the highest part of anything.

She is at the peak of her career.We could see peaks with white snow in the distance.

Advanced Definition

noun

1. the top part of a mountain that tapers to a point, or such a mountain itself.

The Himalayas contain the highest peaks in the world.When they reached the peak of the mountain, they planted a flag.

2. the protruding bill of a cap; visor.

As a greeting, he touched his hand to the peak of his cap.

3. the point of highest intensity, achievement, value, position, or the like.

She is at the peak of her development as a singer.That day saw a surprising stock market peak.We were lucky to sell our house when prices were at their peak.

4. any tapering, pointed protuberance or projection.

intransitive verb

1. to reach a point of highest intensity, achievement, value, placement, or the like.

The company's earnings peaked in 1986.

2. to rise or protrude in a point.

adjective

1. at or near a maximum level.

He raced at peak speed today.They succeeded by putting in their peak effort.

Spanish cognate

pico: The Spanish word pico means peak.


1. First, Felix rode in an airplane to 30,000 feet over the coast of England. That is higher than Mount Everest, the world's highestpeak. Then he jumped out.

2. Machu Picchu (MAH-choo PEE-choo) was once a city located high in the Andes Mountains in Peru. Its name means “oldpeak.” The city was built nearly 600 years ago. The remains of about 200 stone buildings are found there. They includepalaces, temples, and homes.

Texts: “The Mountain” “The Tree House”



Part 1: Use the article “The Mountain” to answer the following questions:

1. Describe the people Manny sees after Bella points to the sky. Include at least two details from the text.

2. Is “The Mountain” a realistic story? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Part 2: Use the article “The Tree House” to answer the following questions:

3. Describe what happens to Billy after the gnomes knock him into a pile of leaves. Include at least two details from the

text.

4. Is “The Tree House” a realistic story? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Part 3: Use the articles “The Mountain” & “The Tree House” to answer the following questions:

5. Is either of these stories more realistic than the other? Why or why not? Support your answer using details from both

texts.

Documents

Louis Braille Passage Questions - CLSwc.orginspired Louis Braille. Louis simplified the system, reduced the series of dots from twelve to six and eliminated the dashes. By the time