Reading well (rèn kỹ năng đọc cho trẻ)

EMP3464i

Includes
Assessment
Pages!


Reading Well 6–8
Milliken’s Reading Well reading series provides teachers and parents
with a wide variety of activities to use at home or in the classroom to enhance your
reading program.
Reading materials and styles of writing include realistic fiction, biography, poetry,
fantasy, informational articles, myths, legends, tall tales, and plays or skits.
The comprehension activities have been selected to provide opportunities for students
to practice a variety of reading skills. A list of comprehension skills for all grade levels is
included on the Reading Comprehension Chart on page 1.
A variety of assessment rubrics helps you track progress in achieving those skills.
Each book in the series is sequential, allowing students to build on skills previous
learned. The various levels available allows you to select the one most appropriate for
an individual student or class.


Reading
Well
Grades 6–8
written by
Cindy Barden
illustrated by
Corbin Hillam

Author

Cindy Barden
Illustrator
Corbin Hillam
Book Design and Production
Good Neighbor Press, Inc.
Copyright © 2002
Milliken Publishing Co.
All rights reserved.
The purchase of this book entitles the individual teacher/purchaser to reproduce copies
by any reproduction process for single classroom use. The reproduction of any part of
this book for use by an entire school or school system or for any commercial use is
strictly prohibited.


Table of Contents
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

16
18
19
20
22
23
24
25
26
28
29
30
32
33
34
36
39
40
41

Reading Comprehension Skills
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Assessment of Skills Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy
Using Student Assessments
Individual Activity Assessment
Story Frame
Story Map
Story Frame/Story Map Assessment
Student Reading Comprehension Skills Assessment
Student Reading Log and Assessment

Not Enough Time?
Camouflage Clothing: Based on Millions of Years of Research
Picture This
What Might Happen Next?
Log Cabins
The Taj Mahal
Spring in Wisconsin
My Old Kentucky Home
Island of Mystery
The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
Paul Revere’s Ride
A Declaration of War—and of Independence
Never Too Old to Enjoy Fireworks
Apple Picking
Poor Richard’s Almanack
A Stinky Family
Ginseng, The Elixir of Life
St. Nicholas
Where Did Santa Claus Come From?
Jabberwocky
An Unusual Pet
Character Traits*
Analyzing Changes in a Character*
Answer Key

* These two pages can be used with activities in this book or with any outside story or book students read.

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Reading Comprehension Skills
Activities provide opportunities for students
in grades 6 to 8 to practice these reading
comprehension skills.

Skill

Page numbers

Relate pictures to text

35

Distinguish between reality
and fantasy

23, 27

Detect cause and effect

12

Recognize the main idea

11, 12, 18

Compare and contrast

15, 27, 33, 40

Identify significant details

12, 17, 22, 29, 36

Recognize rhymes

34

Sequence events

35

Follow instructions

39

Summarize material

18, 35

Use context clues

13, 17

Predict outcomes

14

Draw conclusions

15, 17, 24, 39

Distinguish between fact
and opinion

19, 25

Determine point of view

21

Paraphrase

28, 31

Discover author’s purpose

11, 17, 24, 35

Identify supporting details

23, 24, 27, 29, 31, 32, 35, 37

Generalize

31

Make judgements

21, 24, 40

Outline

38

Increase vocabulary skills

12, 17, 18, 21, 29, 36

Analysis

40

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Bloom’s Taxonomy
Bloom’s Taxonomy, developed by Benjamin Bloom,
divides cognitive objectives into six categories
ranging from simple to complex. Milliken’s Reading
Well series provides opportunities for children to
meet these six objectives.
Knowledge is the ability to memorize information
and recall specific facts.

Skills include recording, outlining, listing, discriminating between facts and opinions,
classifying items, distinguishing between definitions and examples, and summarizing
material.
Comprehension is the ability to grasp the meaning of what has been learned rather
than simply memorizing facts.
Skills include comparing and contrasting like and unlike items, identifying steps in a
process, interpreting charts and graphs, translating verbal material to mathematical
terms, estimating consequences, patterning, and predicting outcomes.
Application is the ability to use material previously learned in new situations.
Skills include inferring, estimating, applying concepts to new situations, ordering,
sequencing, understanding changes in word meanings, and constructing graphs and
charts.
Analysis is the ability to understand both the content and structural form of material
and the ability to break material into its component parts.
Skills include writing analogies, decoding, using logic, drawing conclusions, predicting
sequences, making inferences, and distinguishing between cause and effect.
Synthesis is the ability to put parts together to form a new whole.
Skills include planning, deductive reasoning, creative thinking, testing hypotheses,
drawing conclusions, problem solving, and planning a project.
Evaluation is the ability to use definite criteria to judge the value of material for a
given purpose.
Skills include developing and evaluating criteria, determining appropriateness and
relevancy of information, discovering common attributes, and evaluating material for
extraneous information.

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Assessment of Skills Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy
Student’s name: _________________________________________
Skill Level
4
3
2
1

Student
Student
Student
Student

has mastered this skill
shows high level of proficiency
has basic understanding of this skill
needs improvement on this skill

N/A not applicable at this time
Skill Level
Knowledge

Analysis

_____ recording

_____ decoding

_____ outlining

_____ using logic

_____ listing

_____ writing analogies

_____ classifying items

_____ making inferences

_____ summarizing

_____ drawing conclusions

_____ discriminating between facts
and opinions

_____ predicting sequences
_____ distinguishing between cause
and effect

_____ distinguishing between definitions
and examples

Synthesis

Comprehension

_____ problem solving

_____ patterning

_____ creative thinking

_____ predicting outcomes

_____ planning a project

_____ estimating consequences

_____ testing hypotheses

_____ identifying steps in a process

_____ drawing conclusions

_____ comparing and contrasting like
and unlike items

_____ deductive reasoning
Evaluation

Application

_____ discovering common attributes

_____ ordering

_____ developing and evaluating criteria

_____ inferring

_____ evaluating material for extraneous
information

_____ sequencing
_____ constructing graphs and charts

_____ determining appropriateness and
relevancy of information

_____ applying concepts to new situations
_____ understanding changes in word
meanings
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Using Student Assessments
Assessment forms can measure student progress on a variety of reading comprehension
skills. They also enable you to track a child’s literary development over time. Completed
forms can be shared with students and their parents, used as motivational tools, and
used as guides when completing report cards.

Individual Activity Assessment
Most activities in the Reading Well series provide opportunities for students to sharpen
several reading comprehension skills.

The Individual Activity Assessment form can be used as a follow-up for any activity
in this book. A copy of it can be attached to the completed activity for students to
take home.

Assessment of Skills Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy
This form provides a means of tracking and assessing students’ mastery of specific skills
in each of the six subdivisions in Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Story Frame and Story Map
Students can complete the Story Frame and Story Map after reading any type of
narrative. The Story Frame helps students summarize material they have read. The Story
Map helps students identify the elements of a story. These forms can be used with many
of the activities in this book as well as with other books and stories students read.

Story Frame/Story Map Assessment
This form provides a means to assess a student’s reading comprehension level through
the use of the story frame, story map, or other types of oral or written book reports
completed by students.

Student Reading Comprehension Skills Assessment
This form allows you to assess a student’s overall level on many reading comprehension
skills. It can be used on a quarterly basis to track progress and provides valuable
information for parents about their child’s progress.

Student Reading Log and Assessment
This form is a self-assessment tool for students as well
as a progress report. It provides an opportunity to
learn at what level a student is comfortable reading
and to suggest appropriate reading material for the
future, providing input for both students and parents.

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Individual Activity Assessment
Student’s name: _____________________________________________ Date: _______________
Activity title: ______________________________________________________________________

Skill Level
4
3
2
1

Student
Student
Student
Student

has mastered this skill
shows high level of proficiency
has basic understanding of this skill
needs improvement on this skill

Skills needed to complete this activity.
Check all that apply.

Skill level

_____ Relate pictures to text

_____

_____ Distinguish between reality and fantasy

_____

_____ Detect causes and effects

_____

_____ Recognize main idea

_____

_____ Compare and contrast

_____

_____ Identify significant details

_____

_____ Recognize rhymes

_____

_____ Sequence events

_____

_____ Follow instructions

_____

_____ Summarize material

_____

_____ Use context clues

_____

_____ Predict outcomes

_____

_____ Draw conclusions

_____

_____ Synthesize

_____

_____ Determine point of view

_____

_____ Discover author’s purpose

_____

_____ Generalize

_____

_____ Make judgements

_____
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Student’s name: ______________________________________________ Date: ______________

Story Frame

Title: ___________________________________________________________________
Author: _________________________________________________________________
This story is mainly about ________________________________________________
(name of main character)

Other important characters are ___________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

This story takes place (when and where) __________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
The problem is __________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
The problem is solved when ______________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
At the end of the story __________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

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Student’s name: ______________________________________________ Date: ______________

Story Map
Title: _________________________________________________________________________
Author: _______________________________________________________________________

Main Characters

Setting
Time:

Place:

Problem(s)

Minor Characters

Solution(s)

Ending

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Story Frame/Story Map Assessment
Student’s name: _____________________________________________ Date: _______________
Book Title: ________________________________________________________________________

Scoring
3 detailed
1 fragmentary

2 partial
0 inaccurate

Story elements
Description of setting (time and place)

Score: ____

Description of main characters

Score: ____

Description of problem(s) encountered

Score: ____

Sequencing of major events

Score: ____

Resolution of problem

Score: ____
Total score: ________

Scoring Guide
Level

Total Score

Proficient

13–15

Capable

9–12

Developing

5–8

Unsatisfactory

0–4

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Student Reading Comprehension Skills Assessment
Student’s name: ___________________________________________________________________

Skill Level
4
3
2
1

Student
Student
Student
Student

has mastered this skill
shows high level of proficiency
has basic understanding of this skill
needs improvement on this skill

N/A not applicable at this time
Dates of assessment
Skill

Level of Skill (1–4)

Relates pictures to text

_____

_____

_____

_____

Distinguishes between reality and fantasy

_____

_____

_____

_____

Detects causes and effects

_____

_____

_____

_____

Recognizes the main idea

_____

_____

_____

_____

Compares and contrasts

_____

_____

_____

_____

Identifies significant details

_____

_____

_____

_____

Recognizes rhymes

_____

_____

_____

_____

Sequences events

_____

_____

_____

_____

Follows instructions

_____

_____

_____

_____

Summarizes material

_____

_____

_____

_____

Uses context clues

_____

_____

_____

_____

Predicts outcomes

_____

_____

_____

_____

Draws conclusions

_____

_____

_____

_____

Determines point of view

_____

_____

_____

_____

Classifies like and unlike items

_____

_____

_____

_____

Distinguishes fact/opinion

_____

_____

_____

_____

Paraphrases

_____

_____

_____

_____

Understands author’s purpose

_____

_____

_____

_____

Identifies supporting details

_____

_____

_____

_____

Overall assessment

_____

_____

_____

_____

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Student Reading Log and Assessment
Student’s name: ___________________________________________________________________
Title of Book

Check one box
Easy

Just right

Hard

____________________________________________________

_______

_______

_______

____________________________________________________

_______

_______

_______

____________________________________________________

_______

_______

_______

____________________________________________________

_______

_______

_______

____________________________________________________

_______

_______

_______

____________________________________________________

_______

_______

_______

____________________________________________________

_______

_______

_______

____________________________________________________

_______

_______

_______

____________________________________________________

_______

_______

_______

The book I liked best was: __________________________________________________________
because __________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

Assessment of Student Reading Log
_____ Student is reading above level expected.
Keep up the great work!
_____ Student is reading at level expected.
Good job!
_____ Student is reading below level expected.
He/she needs to work harder.

Suggestions for books student might enjoy are: _____________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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Name: ______________________________________________________ Date: _______________

Not Enough Time?
Is your life too busy? Do you feel you have too many demands on your time and not
enough time to do what you really want to do?
Do you sometimes say, I’d like to . . . learn to play the piano . . . volunteer to help . . .
participate in more church activities . . . read more books . . . join the soccer team . . . stop
and visit a friend . . . but I don’t have enough time.
Think about what you do with your time. Do you spend three hours a day in front of the
television? If you gave up one hour a day, you’d have an extra seven hours a week to do
something else.
Do you stay in bed extra late on Saturday mornings?
What if you got up an hour or two earlier?
Do you spend several hours at the video arcade or
playing computer games every week? Would some of
that time be better spent doing something else?
Do you belong to several clubs? Play several
sports? Would you be better off dropping one of these
activities and doing something else you’d enjoy more?
You cannot control all of your time. Some hours of every day must be set aside for school,
homework, chores, and other responsibilities. But you can control what you do with the rest of
your time.
Take a look at how you spend your time. What changes could you make to give yourself
more time to do what you’d like to do?
Time is precious. Once it’s gone, you can never get it back. It’s time to take control of
your time.
1. What is the author’s purpose?
____ to entertain

____ to inform

____ to persuade

2. What is the main idea of this article?
_______________________________________________________________________
3. What suggestions does the author make to give yourself more control over your time?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
4. What would you most like to do if you had more time? ___________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
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Name: ______________________________________________________ Date: _______________

Camouflage Clothing: Based on Millions of Years of Research
You may think camouflage clothing is a rather recent invention, but it’s not. For millions of
years animals have used camouflage to blend into their natural environment to conceal
themselves from predators or prey.
A tiger is almost impossible to see when it stalks silently through long brown grass. The
coloration of many types of moths allows them to blend in with the background vegetation
making them nearly invisible. Some reptiles, fish, and amphibians have the ability to change
colors to match various backgrounds.
Another type of camouflage is mimicry used by animals or insects to imitate the coloration
of another animal or insect which is poisonous or one that is a dangerous predator.
People have learned from the animals. During the Revolutionary War, they realized that

the red coats traditionally worn by British soldiers made good
targets. American troops wore buckskin which was not as
visible among the forests where much of the fighting took
place. Military use of camouflage techniques has extended to
equipment and even buildings.
The next time you see someone wearing camouflage
clothing, remember that it is based on millions of years of
testing and research by members of the animal kingdom.
1. Which animals use camouflage?
A. Predators

B. Prey

C. Predators and prey

2. Which animal is named in the article as an example of a predator that uses
camouflage?
_______________________________________________________________________
3. In what war mentioned in the article did people discover the advantage of
camouflage clothing?
_______________________________________________________________________
4. What is mimicry? ________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
5. The main idea of this article is
A. Animals use camouflage.
B. People wear camouflage clothing.
C. People have learned about the advantages of camouflage from animals.
6. Underline the cause and circle the effect.
British soldiers made good targets because they wore red coats.
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Name: ______________________________________________________ Date: _______________

Picture This
Idioms are phrases that say one thing, but mean something entirely different. If taken
literally, the phrase actually doesn’t make much sense.
Example: Idiom: The librarian told Aaron to button his lips.
Actual meaning: be quiet
Literal meaning:

Write the actual meaning of each idiom.
1. Jeremy was a barrel of laughs at the party.
_______________________________________________________________________
2. Mia had butterflies in her stomach before the test.
_______________________________________________________________________
3. Rachel was all thumbs when she tried to learn to knit.
_______________________________________________________________________
4. Jordan thinks he’s the top banana.
_______________________________________________________________________
5. Shannon had to cool his heels while he waited for the election results.
_______________________________________________________________________
6. When Josh’s mother heard about the accident, she came unglued.
_______________________________________________________________________
7. Write another idiom and explain what it actually means. Then draw a picture to

represent the literal meaning. Refer to the example for “button his lips.”
Idiom: _________________________________________________________________
Actual meaning: _________________________________________________________
Literal meaning:

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Name: ______________________________________________________ Date: _______________

What Might Happen Next?
When Alex arrived at home after a late basketball practice, the house
was dark. “Mom, I’m home!” he shouted, but no one answered.
“They’re two hours late!” he thought to himself. As Alex hung his
coat in the closet, the phone rang.
1. What might happen next? __________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
“Shari, Lynn, and Kia, report to the principal’s office,” announced Mr. Long, their homeroom teacher. The three girls looked at each other as though they already knew why they
were being summoned.
2. What might happen next? __________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Jake searched frantically through dozens of dusty old books before he finally found what
he needed. “At last!” he shouted.

3. What might happen next? __________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

It was the bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, with two outs. His team was behind 5 to 2.
With a full 3–2 count, Rick adjusted his batting helmet and slowly stepped back up to
the plate.
4. What might happen next? __________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Mara was stunned as she heard wave after wave of applause from the crowd. She took
one more bow, then stumbled off the stage.
5. What might happen next? __________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
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Name: ______________________________________________________ Date: _______________

Log Cabins
Many of the first homes in the American colonies were small, oneroom log cabins. Sometimes a low-ceilinged loft was added over one
section as a sleeping area for the children.
Early log cabins were not very large because building a log cabin involved much hard
work. The larger the cabin and the higher the walls, the more logs were needed.

First the colonists had to clear the land. They cut tall trees with an ax and stripped all the
branches off. Then they hauled the logs to the site and lifted them into place to form the
walls. They chinked the cracks between the logs with a mixture of mud and straw.
A fireplace provided heat, light, and a place to cook. A hole in the roof allowed smoke to
escape. Tree bark, saplings, or hollow logs were used for the roof. The floors were simply dirt.
Windows and doors might be blankets or animal hides stretched to block cold air.
Furniture was simple and often served more than one purpose. Beds could be used as places
to sit during the day. Instead of closets, shelves and wooden pegs held most possessions.
Log cabins did not have electricity or indoor plumbing. Water had to be carried in buckets
from a spring or well and heated in kettles over the fireplace for cooking, cleaning, washing
clothes, and bathing. Instead of a toilet, people used an outhouse.
Complete the chart by making an X in the correct columns to indicate whether the items
listed would have been found only in log cabins, only in homes today, or in both.
Items

Only in log cabins Only in homes today In both

Fireplace for cooking
Pots and pans
Cups and dishes
Microwave oven
CD player
Candles
Lanterns
Glass windows
Tree bark roof
Dirt floor
Beds
Tables and chairs
Walk-in closets

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Name: ______________________________________________________ Date: _______________

The Taj Mahal
According to legend, Shah Jehan, a Mogul emperor who became known as “King of the
World,” fell in love with a young girl, Mumtaz Mahal, the first time he saw her. Five years later,
she became his queen. After 19 years of marriage, Mumtaz died giving birth to her fourteenth
child in 1631. Filled with grief, the emperor decided to build the world’s finest mausoleum in
honor of his love for her.
Made of imported red sandstone, alabaster, and marble, building the fabulous Taj Mahal
took nearly 22 years to complete. A large onion dome over 240 feet tall rises over the center
of the building, surrounded by four smaller domes. The 138 foot domes at each corner are set
on eight-sided bases. Four identical facades each contain a large central arch 108 feet high.
The interior walls were decorated with 43 types of gems including jade and crystal from
China, turquoise from Tibet, and lapis lazuli from Afghanistan. Verses from the Koran, the
Moslem holy book, were written on the walls of the building. By gradually increasing the size
of the letters as they were written higher on the walls, the writing appears to be the same size
from top to bottom.
Inside an octagonal room stand the two elaborate marble caskets of Shah Jehan and
Mumtaz Mahal. Their bodies are not in the caskets, however. They are actually buried in a
small crypt beneath the room. The caskets are decorated with rare stones, mosaics, and
elaborate floral designs which are repeated on the lower walls of the main chamber and in
the four surrounding rooms.

The elaborate park-like gardens symbolizing paradise contain paved walkways and
reflecting pools surrounded by a large wall. Goldfish and rare fish once swam in the water
and peacocks strutted through the gardens. Fruit trees and cypress trees lined the walkways.
Cypress trees are a symbol of death.

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Name: ______________________________________________________ Date: _______________

The Taj Mahal (cont’d)
Four is a sacred number and much of the Taj Mahal and the gardens are based on that
number or multiples of four. Two marble canals divided the gardens into four squares which
were again divided into 16 flower beds each planted with 400 flowers.
When the British took control of India in the 18th century, they planned to dismantle the
Taj Mahal and sell the marble in England, but they couldn’t find buyers. Demolition plans were
cancelled only because it wouldn’t have been worth the cost of tearing down the Taj Mahal.
For two hundred years the Taj Mahal seemed to be forgotten except by looters and small
animals. The magnificent tomb fell into near ruin, the pools dried up, and the gardens became
overgrown and neglected. Finally, in the twentieth century, attempts were made to return the
Taj Mahal to its former glory.
The gardens have been partially restored, trees planted, lawns seeded and tended, but
the fruit trees and peacocks have not been replaced. Craftsmen repaired some of the marble
and mosaics. The spiral staircases of the four surrounding towers are so filled with bats, that

they cannot be used. In spite of only partial restoration, the elaborate Taj Mahal in Agra, India
is a favorite for visitors from all over the world.
1. What does mausoleum mean? ______________________________________________
2. When and where was the Taj Mahal built? _____________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
3. Who built the Taj Mahal and why? ___________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
4. The author’s purpose was to
A. inform.
B. entertain.
C. persuade.
5. What does dismantle mean? _______________________________________________
6. Based on what you read, how do you think the British felt about the value of the
Taj Mahal?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
7. To what religious group did Shah Jehan belong? _______________________________
8. What did the gardens of the Taj Mahal represent? ______________________________

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Name: ______________________________________________________ Date: _______________

Spring in Wisconsin

It doesn’t matter how many robins arrive, what the date is on the calendar, what the Old
Farmer’s Almanac predicted, or how many ground hogs notice their shadows. Spring arrives
in Wisconsin in its own good-natured time.
Sometimes spring creeps in quietly from the south as the days slowly get longer and
warmer. The change from winter to spring occurs so gradually people may forget the last time
they used their snow shovels or wore their winter boots.
Some years, spring jumps out of winter, almost overnight. One day there’s snow on the
ground and, suddenly, the next day people notice the snow has melted, buds are sprouting,
and everyone is wearing lighter jackets.
Most years, spring is neither gradual and continuous
nor sudden. It’s more like a war between spring and winter
that rages on for a month or more. Some days, spring
seems to have won. The temperature soars to 60
degrees. Everyone smiles as they shed winter coats.
But spring has not won the war, only a battle, a minor
skirmish. A day or two later everyone can be up to their
eyeballs in snow. The rain can change quickly from a
gentle spring shower to a horrible ice storm coating trees
and wires and roads in glistening treachery.
Every spring is a little different. People can anticipate
and hope that winter will end soon, but they can’t hurry it
along. They can only wait and see when spring will finally
triumph again for another year.
1. What verbs does the author use to describe how spring arrives?
_______________________________________________________________________
2. What is the main idea of this article?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
3. Write a short paragraph that describes the arrival of a season where you live. Use
active verbs.

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
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Name: ______________________________________________________ Date: _______________

My Old Kentucky Home
Write F for fact or O for opinion.
1. ____ About 300 million years ago, much of Kentucky was swampland.
2. ____ When the swamps eventually dried out, they left a layer of organic matter that
became coal.
3. ____ The first inhabitants of Kentucky were migrating hunters of mammoths
and mastodons.
4. ____ Hunting a mastodon must have been a scary experience.
5. ____ Kentucky is nicknamed the Bluegrass State.
6. ____ Everyone enjoys watching the Kentucky Derby.
7. ____ Kentucky’s state tree is the coffee tree, but coffee doesn’t really grow on it.
8. ____ Cumberland Falls, Kentucky is the only place in America where you can see
a “moonbow.”
9. ____ A moonbow occurs on clear nights when the moon is full.
10. ____ A moonbow is prettier than a rainbow.
11. ____ “The Moonbow State” would be a better nickname for Kentucky.

12. ____ Much of the country’s gold is stored at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
13. ____ Kentucky’s oldest college in Lexington is called Transylvania.
14. ____ Two cities in Kentucky have very strange names: Monkey’s Eyebrow and
Butcher’s Hollow.
15. ____ The best president of the U.S., Abe Lincoln, was born in Kentucky.
16. ____ The state song, “My Old Kentucky Home,” is the best song written by
Stephen Foster.

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Name: ______________________________________________________ Date: _______________

Island of Mystery
Marvelous trip

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Friends and Family
Tuesday, November 11
Marvelous trip

Dear Friends and Family,
If you’ve wondered why I haven’t answered any of your e-mails for the last
few days, it’s because I went on an unexpected journey. A friend who teaches
at the university called and told me about a last-minute cancellation on a
university-sponsored trip to Isla de Pacua. She asked if I could be packed
and at the airport in four hours. Well, you know me. I’d never pass up a
chance for an adventure.
While we were in the air, I took the opportunity to learn more about this
famous island. Isla de Pacua, known as Easter Island, was named by the Dutch
explorer, Jacob Roggeveen, who first visited there on Easter Sunday, 1722.
Located in the South Pacific Ocean, the island is about 2,000 miles from the
coast of Chile. The triangular-shaped island is about 11 miles long and 15
miles wide. An extinct volcano stands on each point of the triangle.
Little rain falls on the island and the soil absorbs water quickly, so there
are no fresh water streams. Drinking water comes from crater lakes.
When Roggeveen arrived at Easter Island, about 4,000 people lived there, but by
1879 there were only 111 people left. Many had been captured and sold as
slaves. Others died from diseases brought by visitors.

In 1888 the island was annexed by Chile and became a home for people suffering
from leprosy. Later the Chilean government made it a public preserve. Today the
island is home to about 2,000 people.

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Name: ______________________________________________________ Date: _______________

Island of Mystery (cont’d)
I enjoyed the pleasant climate and ocean beaches on Easter Island but was most
interested in the megaliths——gigantic, carved statues located throughout the
island. Carved of a special kind of volcanic rock called tufa, about 100 simple
statues stand on rock platforms and are between 10 and 40 feet tall. The
largest statue weighs as much as 50 tons! I can’t help but wonder how primitive
people could have moved the huge sculptures from the rock quarries to where
they now stand.
Although many have tried to solve the mystery of the huge statues, they have
found few clues. Scientists have discovered wooden plaques with picture writing
and carvings of birds, but they have not solved the mystery.
Some who live on the island say the statues were built by natives who were
asking the gods for help. They claim the land was part of a huge continent that
was sinking into the ocean. As it sank, the crops were ruined and people
starved. The natives built statues of themselves in hopes the gods would be
pleased and help them. Most of the faces on the statues gaze into space. Some

have their backs to the sea, while others seem to be looking out to sea as if
waiting to be rescued. As I looked at the thin faces, I could imagine starving
people looking to the sky for help.
Others claim the statues were built during a war between people with short ears
and people with long ears. They say that war ended civilization on the island
for thousands of years.
I have no idea what the statues mean or why they were built, but seeing them
was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life.
love,
Aunt Jane

1. This narrative is written in
____ first person.
____ third person.
2. How did Easter Island get its name? _________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
3. What is a megalith? ______________________________________________________
4. Why did the population of Easter Island drop dramatically between 1722 and 1879?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
5. Easter Island is part of what country? ________________________________________
6. On another sheet of paper, write your own explanation of why the megaliths of Easter
Island were built.
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