Selection: C-25

C-25

Grade level: 3

Word count: 1130 words

Author: Marshif Quoyle

Synopsis: How do green plants matter? Let us (lettuce!) count the ways.

Excerpt: The links in that food chain begin with a green plant and then go on to insects and worms.

People and other large animals are at the end of many food chains. A food chain ends with an animal that will not be eaten by another animal.

The second link in any food chain is always a creature that eats plants.

Question: Think about what you read. Put these links to a food chain in order, from the first link in the last.

1. plant
2. grasshopper
3. frog
4. hawk

Selection: C-7

C-7

Grade level: 3

Word count: 1130 words

Author: Kate Carter

Synopsis: When scientists explore the deep sea by submarine, they bump into some creepy characters.

Excerpt: A deep-sea vent is like a geyser, but it is on the ocean floor. It may be a mile or several miles below the surface. A deep-sea vent also blows hot water--hotter than boiling. But it blows the water into the cold ocean. That means the water around a deep-sea vent is much warmer than the rest of the ocean.

The temperature of the deep sea is much too cold for animals.

Question: What would most likely happen if all the deep-sea vents suddenly disappeared?

1. The temperature of deep ocean water would become colder.
2. More sunlight would reach the deepest part of the ocean.
3. Sea creatures would have an easier time finding food.
4. More sea creatures would start living in the deepest part of the ocean.

Selection: C-9

C-9

Grade level: 3

Word count: 1237 words

Author: Kate Carter

Synopsis: Laura Dekker did what no 16-year-old had ever done before. Some people say no 16-year-old ever should.

Excerpt: Government officials insisted Laura was too young for such a difficult journey and did not have the skills to survive a year alone on a sailboat. They said she must stay home, go to school, and forget about attempting such a trip until she was older.

She thought it was unfair of the government to tell her she couldn't go. In the end, though, there was nothing she could do. She just had to wait.

Question: How did Laura feel when the government prevented her trip?

1. She was disappointed because she felt the government was being unfair.
2. She was relaxed because she understood the government's point of view.
3. She was happy that people were looking out for her and wanted to protect her.
4. She was angry at the person who told the government about her trip.

Selection: C-20

C-20

Grade level: 3

Word count: 1338 words

Author: Manny Ruiz

Synopsis: The crocodile is one of the most ancient creatures on Earth. Will it go the way of the dinosaur?

Excerpt: If you do see a crocodile in the water, you may not know what it is. When it floats in a river, it looks just like a log. No one is afraid of a log. By the time you (or some other animal or fish) find out the log isn't a log, it's too late. The crocodile opens its big wide mouth and snap!

Question: A crocodile looks as if it is a log in the water. How is this helpful?

1. The crocodile can surprise its prey.
2. The crocodile can float like a piece of wood.
3. Other animals can ride on the crocodile's back.
4. Humans will not hurt the crocodile.

Selection: C-1

C-1

Grade level: 3

Word count: 1242 words

Author: Kate Carter

Synopsis: Musician Ray Charles wanted to be great, not famous, but he was both.

Excerpt: Ray heard a piano for the first time when he was four years old.

Ray and George did not have an easy time. Their parents worked a lot, but sometimes they did not have enough money to get food. One day, when Ray was five and George was four, George fell into the wash tub and drowned. Ray was not paying attention, and by the time he saw what was happening, it was too late.

Then, more trouble came. Ray started to lose his eyesight. By the time he was seven, he was blind.

When Ray was 10, his father died in an accident at work. Five years later, his mother got sick and died also.

Question: Put these events from Ray's life in the order in which they occurred, from first to last.

1. Ray heard a piano for the first time.
2. Ray's younger brother died.
3. Ray lost his eyesight.
4. Ray's father died.

Selection: F-6

F-6

Grade level: 6

Word count: 1783 words

Author: Mary R. Dunn

Synopsis: Flying high over the countryside, spies in hot air balloons could spot enemy troops.

Excerpt: "My husband has built at least five balloons of different sizes to use as observation posts," explained Mrs. Lowe. "Realizing the need to refuel the balloons frequently, he also invented and operated a portable gas generator that could be transported to positions near the battlefields."

The driver nodded and said, "What did I hear about your sending valuable intelligence reports about Falls Church?"

"That was an exciting encounter. I was in Arlington, Virginia, high above the countryside, and I was able to telegraph intelligence on the Confederate troops so that the Union soldiers could take aim at the enemy and maintain fire on them without even seeing them."

Question: Which two major contributions did Mr. Lowe make to the war effort?

1. He sent valuable information on enemy troop positions.
2. He invented a portable gas generator to fuel balloons.
3. He wounded his arm in a hot air balloon accident.
4. He fired on the enemy without even seeing them.
5. He spent most of his time on a barge in the river.

Selection: F-11

F-11

Grade level: 6

Word count: 1680 words

Author: Adapted from a story by Lewis Carroll

Synopsis: Alice lets her curiosity get the better of her, as she tumbles into a world of fantasy.

Excerpt: In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how she could possibly get out. The rabbit-hole went straight like a tunnel for some distance. Then it dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself tumbling down a very deep well.

Question: What does Alice's decision to jump into the rabbit-hole tell about her character?

1. She sometimes overlooks the results of her actions.
2. She would do anything to help an animal in trouble.
3. She always weighs the pros and cons of a situation.
4. She likes to be with others rather than by herself.

Selection: F-2

F-2

Grade level: 6

Word count: 1760 words

Author: Karen Berman

Synopsis: When traveling, it's good to know the local customs.

Excerpt: Greetings are universal customs, but they are given in many ways. In most major cities around the world, you would never say hello to strangers on the street. Greeting strangers is common in small towns, where not saying hello to everyone you pass might be considered rude. In Muslim countries, however, men and women do not speak unless they already know each other. To do so would be to commit a major etiquette mistake.

Question: Which of the following would be considered an etiquette mistake?

1. saying hello to strangers on the street in a Muslim country
2. accompanying a handshake with a smile in South Africa
3. shaking hands with everyone in the room in Cameroon
4. asking questions about a person's health in Kenya

Selection: F-4

F-4

Grade level: 6

Word count: 1740 words

Author: Kelley Sachs

Synopsis: Some scientists believe life could exist on planets outside our solar system.

Excerpt: There are many, many more exoplanets than the eight planets in our solar system. There are 760 so far, and scientists have only just begun to find them. It makes sense to assume that some of these far away planets might be very much like Earth. Some rocky planets probably have plenty of water on their surface, and stay at a temperature between freezing and boiling most of the time. These two conditions could make it possible for Earth-like life to exist.

Question: From what you have read, which of the following is most likely?

1. Some exoplanets could resemble Earth in their composition and climate.
2. There are not many more exoplanets than the eight planets in our solar system.
3. Astronauts are now training for missions to the farthest exoplanet.
4. We will never know whether exoplanets really exist in our solar system.

Selection: F-5

F-5

Grade level: 6

Word count: 1658 words

Author: Ben Robinson

Synopsis: Fencing is an Olympic sport that offers athletes an opportunity to learn the skills of the gladiators.

Excerpt: Times were anything but easy for Keeth. With all the odds stacked against him and so much sadness in his life, he could have very well quit the sport of fencing, but he was not to be defeated. For Keeth, neither quitting nor failure was an option. He devoted himself to the sport of fencing more intensely than ever. He used the training and competitions to distract himself from his grief, and to prove that his parents were right to get him into the sport in the first place.

Question: Which two details contribute to the reader's understanding of Keeth Smart's character?

1. He never considered quitting or failing.
2. He put a lot of effort into his training.
3. He took a break from competitions.
4. He never was confident in his skills.
5. He was slow to recognize his potential.

Selection: J-11

J-11

Grade level: 10

Word count: 2199 words

Author: Diane Lang

Synopsis: Skylar and Jason's relationship is already strained when they're paired together for a class project. Will their "no-technology" challenge make them, or break them?

Excerpt: Skylar's relationship with Jason, one of the few seniors in Mr. Crawford's American literature class and her boyfriend for the past year, had become noticeably stressed and strained. Jason, meanwhile, glanced surreptitiously at Skylar, joking around with Conner and some other friends on the opposite side of the classroom.

Although their romantic feelings returned, neither of them lost sight of their convictions for the future, and they finally reached a mutual understanding. "I'm not disappointed anymore," Skylar admitted. "I felt rejected at first, but now that we've addressed things, I get your drift, as my parents would say."

Question: Based on what you have read, what could have happened if Jason had complained about being partnered with Skylar?

1. Jason and Skylar would not have repaired their relationship while in the same class.
2. Jason would have complained about being partnered with Amanda.
3. Jason and Skylar would have received a poor grade on their assignment.
4. Skylar would have complained about being partnered with Jason.