Reading - Group 3

Roly-Poly Pill Bugs

by Cynthia Sherwood

Some people are afraid of bugs such as spiders or beetles. But there is one bug that just about everybody likes—pill bugs. If you ever pick one up, you know why its nickname is “roly-poly.” A pill bug rolls up into a tight little ball to protect itself. This bug is scared of you, not the other way around! These little gray or brown bugs can be found almost everywhere in the United States except the desert. That is because they need to stay moist. But they can live in dry places like California thanks to lawn sprinklers. One of their favorite hang-outs is under damp flower pots. Did you know that pill bugs have something in common with kangaroos? After her eggs hatch, the mother pill bug carries her young in a pouch under her belly. The little pill bugs stay there until they are big enough to be on their own. Pill bugs also have something in common with snakes. Just as snakes shed their skin when it gets too small, pill bugs do too. This is called “molting.” A pill bug molts about five times until it is full-grown. Pill bugs are a little like owls, too. Pill bugs are nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night. That is when they most like to wander around and look for food. And just like earthworms, pill bugs help break down plants in the soil. Pill bugs aren’t just nice bugs. They are also interesting ones!

1. Why are pill bugs nicknamed “roly-poly”?

2. Where would you be least likely to find a pill bug?

a. under a large rock near a pond

b. under a log near a downspout

c. in a vegetable garden

d. hiding in the roots of a cactus

3. How is a pill bug like a kangaroo?

4. What does the word “molting” mean?

a. active at night

b. shedding its skin

c. crawling in a damp place

d. crawling like a snake

5. How are pill bugs and earthworms alike?

6. Which statement from the article is an opinion?

a. This bug is scared of you, not the other way around.

b. A pill bug molts about five times until it is full-grown.

c. Pill bugs aren't just nice bugs; they are interesting ones.

d. One of their favorite hang-outs is under damp flower pots.

The Skeleton Key

by Kelly Hashway

Erik rang his grandparents’ doorbell and silently wished the next four hours would go by quickly. He didn’t want to give up his entire Saturday afternoon at his grandparents’ house where there were no kids in the neighborhood. “You’re right on time,” Grandma Bethany said, opening the door. “There’s tea and cake in the dining room.” Cake? At least the first ten minutes would go by quickly. Erik hung his coat on the rack by the door and saw a strange looking key hanging on a hook. “Grandpa Bill, what’s this funny key for?” “That’s a skeleton key. It opens the best room in this house,” Grandpa Bill whispered so no one else could hear. “It’s the room I go to when your grandmother tries to make me help with the dishes.” “What’s so special about the room?” Erik asked. “It’s a game room,” Grandpa Bill said. “Take the key and see if you can find the room by the time I finish my tea.” Erik grabbed the key and stared at it. “A skeleton key? It looks old.” Erik decided the oldest things in the house were probably upstairs in the walk-up attic. He headed past the dining room and to the stairs. Grandpa Bill sipped his tea and shook his head. Erik knew that meant he was going the wrong way. He headed back to the front door where he’d found the key. Erik thought about the oldest part of a house. “The basement! It’s the first part that’s built.” He rushed to the basement door and looked at the lock. It was different from a normal lock. He slid the key inside and turned it. With a click, the door opened. Erik switched on the light and walked down the stairs. The basement was one giant room with a pool table in the middle and a dartboard on the far wall. “Awesome!” Erik said. “Ever learn to play pool?” Grandpa Bill asked, coming down the stairs. “No,” Erik said. “Well then, grab a cue from the rack and I’ll teach you.” Erik smiled. The next four hours were going to fly by.

1. What is the setting of this story? (Tell where and when the story takes place.)

2. Why didn't Erik want to visit his grandparents' house at the beginning of the story?

3. Grandpa told Erik that the skeleton key opened...

a. a trunk with secrets

b. the basement door

c. the attic door

d. a game room

4. Why did Erik think the key would open the attic door?

Now try this: Write a continuation of this story. Tell what happens from the time Erik starts playing pool to the time he leaves.

Achoo!

by Cynthia Sherwood

Achoo! We all sneeze sometimes. Sneezing is a reflex that your body does automatically. That means you cannot make yourself sneeze or stop one once it has started. When you sneeze, your body is trying to get rid of bad things in your nose, such as bacteria. You have extra germs when you have a cold, so you sneeze a lot more. You might also sneeze when you smell pepper! Inside your nose, there are hundreds of tiny hairs. These hairs filter the air you breathe. Sometimes dust and pollen find their way through these hairs and bother your nasal passages. The nerves in the lining of your nose tell your brain that something is invading your body. Your brain, lungs, nose, mouth, and the muscles of your upper body work together to blow away the invaders with a sneeze. When you sneeze, germs from your nose get blown into the air. Using a tissue or “sneezing into your sleeve” captures most of these germs. It is very important to wash your hands after you sneeze into them, especially during cold and flu season. Do you ever sneeze when you walk into bright sunlight? About 25% of people experience this phenomenon. Scientists believe that the brain gets confused when signals from the optic nerve trigger the sneezing reflex in direct sunlight. This usually runs in families. If someone nearby sneezes, remember to tell them “Gesundheit!” That is a funnylooking word which is pronounced “gezz-oont-hite.” It is the German word that wishes someone good health after sneezing.

1. Which parts of your body work together when you sneeze?

2. What does the German word gesundheit mean?

a. I wish you good health.

b. I wish you God's blessings.

c. I wish you a good day.

d. I wish you would stop sneezing.

3. Why do some people sneeze when they walk into bright sunlight?

4. Write down 3 reasons why people sneeze

Foggy Figure

by Kelly Hashway

Justin and Mary woke up early, even though they were vacationing at their uncle’s lake house. The night before, Uncle Thomas told them about the Foggy Figure that haunts the lake. Justin and Mary were determined to see the ghostly creature before their vacation was over. “Is it foggy outside?” Mary asked, as Justin peered out the window. “Yup! Let’s go!” Justin let go of the curtain and rushed to the door with Mary on his heels. It was only 5:00AM, so everyone else in the house was still asleep. As they crept through the kitchen to the back door, Mary sniffed the air. It had the faint scent of coffee and something sweet. She shrugged it off and followed Justin out the door, down the back steps, and out onto the boat dock. The fog had settled over the lake, making it impossible to see anything. “Do you see anything?” Mary asked, leaning forward for a closer look. “Nothing. Do you think Uncle Thomas was just trying to scare us with that story?” Uncle Thomas did have a good imagination. He’d been telling Justin and Mary stories for years, but this was the first scary story. Mary had a feeling it wasn’t made up. Mary shook her head. “Remember what Uncle Thomas said? The Foggy Figure haunts the lake. We’re on the dock. Maybe that’s why we can’t see him. The people in the story were in boats.” “You want to go out on the water?” Justin asked. Mary looked around, trying to find Uncle Thomas’s boat, but the fog was too thick. “Mom and Dad will be really angry if we go out on the lake alone in this fog,” Justin said. Mary shrugged. “Maybe we don’t have to go anywhere. We could sit in the boat while it’s docked. That wouldn’t be dangerous.” “Okay.” Justin crept toward the end of the dock. He could barely see the outline of the boat. “I’ll go first.” He carefully lowered himself into the boat and then reached for Mary’s hand. Mary climbed into the boat and sat beside him. She was getting nervous now that they were on the water. “See anything?” They looked around, and gradually, the fog began to lift. Mary turned around and screamed. “The Foggy Figure!” It was in the boat with them! Justin and Mary hugged each other in fear, but then they heard a laugh. Justin leaned toward the Foggy Figure. “Uncle Thomas?” “I knew that story would get you two out of bed early enough to take a boat ride with me.” Mary sighed, happy there was no Foggy Figure after all. Justin looked relieved, too. Uncle Thomas laughed. “What do you say? I packed a breakfast for us.” Mary smiled. She had smelled coffee. And Uncle Thomas had packed pastries for them, too. “Let’s do it,” Mary and Justin said.

1. When does this story take place?

a. shortly before or after dawn

b. shortly before or after dusk

c. in the middle of the night

d. after their vacation is over

2. Uncle Thomas told Justin and Mary stories about...

a. a haunted figure that scared campers in tents

b. a haunted figure that can be seen from the shore every night

c. a haunted figure on the lake that many boaters have seen

d. real creatures that lived deep below the lake's surface

3. Based on the information in the story, which word best describes Uncle Thomas? (Circle one)

scared hard-working lonely creative

Tell why you chose the word above.

4. Why didn't Justin and Mary take the boat out on the lake alone?

a. They were too scared.

b. The boat engine wouldn't start.

c. They did not have any paddles.

d. They thought their parents would be mad.

Hyperbole Cafe

by Lill Pluta

Hyperbole (pronounced: hy-PER-bol-ee) is an exaggerated phrase used in writing that is not meant to be taken literally.

Welcome to our restaurant

Where everything's gigantic.

A hundred waiters hold one dish.

Our kitchen can get frantic.

Our soup is deeper than the sea.

Our noodles stretch a mile.

The bread is longer than a train.

It's sure to make you smile.

We pile our peas up mountain high.

One cookie hides the moon.

We pour our iced tea into boats.

We hope you'll visit soon.

Write a sentence that uses hyperbole to describe each item below.

example: a quick runner James runs faster than a speeding bullet.

1. a large pile of snow

2. a heavy math book

3. a deep puddle of water

4. a tall boy

5. a quiet girl

Rewrite each sentence. Add hyperbole to your new sentence.

6. It is freezing cold outside.

7. The living room in our house is very small.

8. Cara is a very smart girl.