Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.
Roger ran away Melissa squirted him with the spray bottle.
Many pet dogs spend their days sleeping around the house. They play catch with their owners. They have all their meals delivered straight to their bowls. Pet dogs give their owners love and friendship. In return, the dogs live carefree lives.
Some dogs don't have it so easy. They are put to work, but these dogs are not paid in cash. They are paid in shelter, food, and love. Those are the same things that many pet dogs get. Service dogs give more than pet dogs give. People depend on them for serious work. There are many kinds of service dogs. Some dogs guide people who are deaf or blind. The dogs act as people's eyes and ears.
Other dogs do police work. There are about 15,000 police dogs in the United States. The dogs search for missing people and hunt down criminals. Many dogs are also used to search for drugs and bombs. Service dogs often work long hours. Meanwhile, pet dogs have the freedom to sleep and play whenever they want to. Is it fair that some dogs should have to work? Read the debate and then decide.
Service dogs are workers and pets. Usually, they get more attention than pets get. Service dogs often work for their owners, so the dogs spend a lot of time with the people who care for them. Service dogs live happy and useful lives.
Service dogs have to work hard, but they enjoy what they do. Their work can be stressful at times. Since the work can be stressful, the owners make sure that the dogs stay happy. To do that, they give the dogs lots of love and praise for their work. This makes the dogs feel good about the work they do. It makes the dogs want to work more.
Police and service work can be dangerous for dogs. Dogs are brave to do this kind of work. They are willing to face danger when they work.
In 2001, about 350 dogs worked at the World Trade Center site. One rescue worker said, "If these dogs only knew the difference they make. Certainly, there's nothing that can replace… a dog's nose. And absolutely nothing that can replace a dog's heart."
Dogs are meant to be pets. They live short lives compared to humans. They should be allowed to enjoy all of their days. Dogs are meant to be companions, not workers. Service dogs are put under too much stress. Their jobs are not fun. Some service dogs are servants. They do things like opening dresser drawers and pulling their owners' wheelchairs.
Servant dogs, such as guide dogs for people who are blind, are not put in danger. But police dogs are not as lucky. They face life-and-death situations. While people can choose to put their lives on the line, dogs don't have that choice.
In 2001, a police dog was shot and killed by police officers. The dog had caught a person the police were chasing. The police officers didn't realize that the dog was on their side. They thought he was vicious. So they killed him. Weeks before the dog was killed, he had acted as a search-and-rescue dog when the World Trade Center was attacked in New York City.
Melissa had a cat that loved her too much. The cat was named Roger. He was an older cat, about 10 years old, Melissa guessed. She knew because her parents told her they got Roger not long after Melissa was born. When she was little, Roger was little, too. They would run and play and fall down together. Now that she was bigger, Roger was big, too. Very big. Possibly, she thought proudly, he was the fattest cat in town. But more importantly, he was the sweetest.
When Melissa watched TV, Roger sat on her lap. When she did her homework, he sat on her paper. When she ate, he ate, too. Everywhere Melissa went, Roger followed.
“That cat loves you so much,” Melissa’s mother would say. “He doesn’t know what to do without you!”
Most of the time, this was great. Other girls had dolls. Other girls had stuffed animals. Other girls had guinea pigs and hamsters and hermit crabs—pets that were usually in cages or tanks. But Melissa didn’t need any of that. She had a big fat kitty that followed her everywhere.
Yes, it was all pretty great—until Melissa tried to go to sleep.
At night, Roger would sit outside her door perched like a hen on an egg. All night long, Roger would wait for Melissa to wake up. At first, he would wait quietly. But after a few hours, he would start to get impatient. Every night, at around one in the morning, Roger would start to yowl.
If you do not have a cat, you do not know what an awful noise a yowl can be. Cats make lots of nice noises—like purring and meowing and sneezing—but a yowl is not nice at all. It starts deep inside their throat and moves up slowly, getting louder all the time. “Heeeeeee-yowl!” Roger would say, over and over again. It sounded like he was being stepped on. It sounded like he was in pain. And it woke Melissa up every time. Her eyes would pop open. Her stomach would twist up. She would lie there for hours, listening to Roger’s awful cry. No human is strong enough to sleep through a yowling cat.
“Mom!” Melissa would say the next day. “Roger was yowling again last night. He kept me up for hours!”
“Oh sweetie,” Mom would say. “He just can’t stand to be without you. He loves you too much. Why don’t you just open your door and let him in?”
Melissa tried this once. When Roger started yowling, she stomped across her room and opened the door. He bounded in. She lay back down, and tried to go to sleep. She couldn’t. It isn’t easy to sleep when a cat is walking on your head. She moved Roger, but he came back. She hid her head under her blanket, but he just poked her over and over again with his paw. When he started to yowl again, Melissa got fed up. She jerked the blanket off her head and stood up.
“Oh no you don’t!” she said. “No yowling in here!” She put Roger out into the hall where he started his song again.
“Mom!” she said the next day. “Roger kept me up all night! First he walked on my head and then he kept yowling!”
“Oh dear,” said Mom. “I guess he just loves you too much. I have an idea. Take this spray bottle to bed with you. When he starts making noise, just give him a little squirt. Cats hate water. He’ll run right away.”
That night, Roger started yowling on time, at 1 a.m. sharp. Melissa was waiting for him. She gave him three quick squirts with the bottle, and he ran away. “Mmm,” she said. “Now I can get some sleep.”
But five minutes later, the cat was back—yowling away! Over and over she squirted him, and over and over he came back.
“What a piece of junk!” she said, and threw the bottle into the trash. Outside, Roger yowled some more.
“Fine!” she shouted. “You win!”
She opened the door, and Roger bounded inside. Soon he was sound asleep, cuddled on top of her head. Melissa didn't care. She would rather have a cat for a hat, she decided, than a cat that wouldn't be quiet.
Who is Roger?
What main problem does Melissa face in the story?
Roger does not like it when Melissa is asleep. What information from the passage supports this conclusion?
How does Melissa feel about Roger?
What is the main idea of this story?
Read the following sentences:
“‘Oh no you don’t!’ she said. ‘No yowling in here!’ She put Roger out into the hall where he started his song again.”
What does the author mean by “song”?
What did Melissa's mom suggest to stop the yowling?
What animal is this text about?
What are the contrasting points of view that the author includes in this text?
What piece of evidence supports the idea that dogs should work?
Why does the author include stories about police dogs in the section, "No! Dogs Should Not Work"?
What is this passage mostly about?
Why are some people against dogs working?
What special ability do search dogs have?
What can make service dog jobs stressful?
Henry the squirrel does not struggle to find food like his cousins who live in the woods. No, he lives in a city that looks very different from the forest. Even though the city he lives in is full of people, instead of trees, and has a lot more cars and roads than plants and insects, Henry finds that he is quite comfortable. Living at the school, which is full of students, he is able to find all kinds of food whenever he gets hungry.
Right now he feels like eating a sandwich. He looks for a student or teacher who is eating one. There, a tall girl in a green shirt, with a yellow backpack. In her hands she holds what looks like a grilled cheese. That sounds good. That looks good. That smells good! Henry watches the girl take a seat on a bench toward one of the edges. She puts down her backpack, leans back on the bench, and takes a big bite out of her sandwich. Seeing the girl enjoy the sandwich makes Henry really want some! He hops off the ledge he has been sitting on, and he lands on the opposite edge of the bench from the girl. He looks at the girl with his big, black eyes. His bushy tail twitches behind him.
At first, the girl doesn’t notice him because she is so focused on her sandwich. But after a few bites she looks around and sees a little animal on the other edge of the bench. Oh, she thinks, what a cute squirrel that is.
Henry knows that everyone finds him cute. It helps him get close to people, look into their eyes, and ask for a bite of their food. He doesn’t have to say anything at all—they wouldn’t understand his words anyway—because his little face says it all.
That squirrel has such an adorable face, the girl thinks. Look at those big eyes. Look at that thick, beautiful tail. His fur must be so soft. I wish I could pet the squirrel.
Henry can tell from the look on the girl’s face that she wants to pet him. He knows what to do. He leans closer to her, and as she stretches out her arm to pet him, he backs away, looking frightened. He sticks his tail out, too.
The girl's face changes when Henry's face changes. Oh no, she thinks. I scared him when I tried to pet him! She wonders what she might do to calm the squirrel down. After all, she only wants to be his friend. She wants to play with him a little and sit beside Henry on the bench while she enjoys her sandwich.
The sandwich. Aha! The girl looks down at the tasty food in her hands and smiles. She knows just what to do to invite Henry toward her and to make him feel welcome. She tears off a piece of the sandwich and holds it in her hand. The cheese between the slices of bread is still hot, still thick, yellow, and melted. It looks golden. The bread is still firm and crisp. The girl stretches her hand back out toward Henry, but this time with a gift.
Henry has been waiting for this moment! He is happy that he chose this girl in the green shirt and yellow backpack. He knew she would share her food with him. And Henry loves a good grilled cheese sandwich! He hops toward the girl and takes the piece of bread in his tiny paws. Next to the girl, he opens his mouth wide for a big bite.
Delicious!
Where does Henry the squirrel live?
What type of sandwich does Henry want?
How does the girl feel about Henry?
What does the girl hold in her hand for Henry?
What does Henry do when the girl tries to pet him?
What color is the girl's backpack?
What does the girl want to do with Henry?
What does Henry expect from the girl?