The text below is divided into two parts. After each part are questions you will need to answer.
by Thornton W. Burgess
Billy Mink ran around the edge of the Smiling Pool and turned down by the Laughing Brook. His eyes twinkled with mischief, and he hurried as only Billy can. As he passed Jerry Muskrat’s house, Jerry saw him.
“Hi, Billy Mink! Where are you going in such a hurry this fine morning?” he called.
“To find Little Joe Otter. Have you seen him?” replied Billy.
“No,” said Jerry. “He’s probably down to the Big River fishing. I heard him say last night that he was going.”
“Thanks,” said Billy Mink, and without waiting to say more he was off like a little brown flash.
Jerry watched him out of sight. “Hump!” exclaimed Jerry. “Billy Mink is in a terrible hurry this morning. Now I wonder what he is so anxious to find Little Joe Otter for. When they get their heads together, it is usually for some mischief.”
Jerry climbed to the top of his house and looked over the Smiling Pool in the direction from which Billy Mink had just come. Almost at once he saw Grandfather Frog fast asleep on his big green lily pad. The legs of a foolish green fly were sticking out of one corner of his big mouth. Jerry couldn’t help laughing, for Grandfather Frog certainly did look funny.
“He’s had a good breakfast this morning, and his full stomach has made him sleepy,” thought Jerry. “But he’s getting careless in his old age. He certainly is getting careless. The idea of going to sleep right out in plain sight like that!”
Suddenly a new thought popped into his head. “Billy Mink saw him, and that is why he is so anxious to find Little Joe Otter. He is planning to play some trick on Grandfather Frog as sure as pollywogs have tails!” exclaimed Jerry. Then his eyes began to twinkle as he added: “I think I’ll have some fun myself.”
Why was Billy in a hurry?
Why was Grandfather Frog sleeping?
Why does Jerry laugh when he sees Grandfather Frog?
What does Jerry Muskrat think about Grandfather Frog?
What does Billy Mink intend to do with Little Joe Otter?
What does Jerry plan to do when he sees Billy?
What suggests that Grandfather Frog is sleepy?
by Thornton W. Burgess
10
Without another word Jerry slipped down into the water and swam over to the big green lily pad of Grandfather Frog. Then he pounded the water loudly with his tail. Grandfather Frog’s big goggly eyes flew open, and he was just about to make a frightened plunge into the Smiling Pool when he saw Jerry.
“Have a nice nap?” inquired Jerry, with a broad grin.
“I wasn’t asleep!” protested Grandfather Frog indignantly.* “I was just thinking.”
“Don’t you think it a rather dangerous plan to think so long with your eyes closed?” asked Jerry.
“Well, maybe I did just doze off,” admitted Grandfather Frog sheepishly.
“Maybe you did,” replied Jerry. “Now listen.” Then Jerry whispered in Grandfather Frog’s ear, and both chuckled as if they were enjoying some joke, for they are great friends, you know. Afterward Jerry swam back to his house, and Grandfather Frog closed his eyes so as to look just as he did when he was asleep.
Meanwhile Billy Mink had hurried down the Laughing Brook. Halfway to the Big River he met Little Joe Otter bringing home a big fish, for you know Little Joe is a great fisherman. Billy Mink hastened to tell him how Grandfather Frog had fallen fast asleep on his big green lily pad.
17
“It’s a splendid chance to have some fun with Grandfather Frog and give him a great scare,” concluded Billy.
Little Joe Otter put his fish down and grinned. He likes to play pranks almost as well as he likes to go fishing.
“What can we do?” said he.
“I’ve thought of a plan,” replied Billy. “Do you happen to know where we can find Longlegs the Blue Heron?”
“Yes,” said Little Joe. “I saw him fishing not five minutes ago.”
Then Billy told Little Joe his plan, and laughing and giggling, the two little scamps hurried off to find Longlegs the Blue Heron.”
*indignantly: angrily
What is the meaning of the word slipped in paragraph 10?
Why did Grandfather Frog close his eyes to look just as he did when he was asleep?
What is the meaning of splendid in paragraph 17?
What did Jerry do when he reached Grandfather Frog?
How did Little Joe Otter react to Billy Mink's plan?
Use both parts of this text to answer this question.
Which detail from the text supports that Grandfather Frog was scared when Jerry pounded the water with his tail?
Use both parts of this text to answer this question.
How does Jerry's climb to the top of his house contribute to the rest of the text?
The text below is divided into two parts. After each part are questions you will need to answer.
by Susan Jankowski
It's been said that a dog is a "man's best friend." This proved to be true when three friends set out to climb to the summit of Mount Hood in Oregon. They had no idea they would be turning around. They had no idea a German shepherd named Velvet would help save their lives.
2
Two of the climbers were school teachers. Matty Bryant and Kate Hanlon were teachers in schools in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon. Bryant, Hanlon, and six others began the hike to climb Mount Hood on a Saturday morning. They were all experienced rock climbers. They had brought the right gear to camp overnight on the 11,239 foot (3,425.6 meter)-high mountain, which towers over the Mount Hood National Forest. They also brought a transmitter with them. This is a small device that sends and/or receives signals. If the climbers ran into trouble, rangers might be able to track their location with the transmitter.
The Weather Factor
On Sunday, the weather took a turn for the worse. Now the climbers faced strong winds and blowing snow. So they chose to play it safe; they turned around to go back down the mountain. They decided it was not worth risking their lives to climb to the summit of Mount Hood.
The storm picked up strength. Matty and Kate roped themselves together with another friend, Christina Ridl. They also fastened the rope to Velvet. This is so they could all stay together in the high winds and blowing snow. Plus if anyone slipped, they would still be connected to others who still had their feet on solid ground.
5
At about 8,300 feet (2,529.8 meters) above sea level, Matty, Kate, and Christina reached a slippery edge. First one climber, then another, then the other fell at nearly the same time!
The three climbers and Velvet tumbled down nearly five hundred feet. This is like jumping off the roof of a forty- to fifty-story apartment building.
6
When the climbers finally hit the ground, they knew they were lucky to be alive. Velvet, too, had survived the fall. But Ridl had injured her head. She put on a tight-fitting hat to stop the bleeding.
Meanwhile, the other climbers were doing their best to make it safely down the side of Mount Hood in the storm. Trevor Liston from Portland was one of them. He saw the three people fall who had been roped together. He and the others tried to throw a rope down to them. But this was not successful. Trevor and the other climbers called park rangers for help.
The three fallen climbers were wet and cold. But they had to keep moving to stay warm. They hiked for miles to try to make it down the mountainside. Soon it became dark. They had to face the fact they would be spending the night outdoors on the mountain-this time in bad weather.
The three did their best to stay calm. They wrapped themselves in sleeping bags to stay warm. They knew it might take some time for rescuers to find them in the dense forest. The Mount Hood National Forest spans over one million acres! The three also huddled around Velvet, who kept them warm with her fur and body heat. Velvet also helped the climbers keep their spirits up. This is important when lost in the wilderness. A person must make up his or her mind to survive.
What is the meaning of experienced in paragraph 2?
Why did the rock climbers end their climb early?
According to the text, what caused the climbers to fall down the mountain?
How does the author connect the point that the climb was very dangerous in paragraphs 5 and 6?
What is the meaning of “face the fact” in paragraph 8?
What did the climbers use to stay connected during the storm?
What is a reason maintaining a good spirit is important when lost?
by Susan Jankowski
Dogs can also be helpful because they can smell the scent of another animal. A dog may start barking to let people know danger is near. Dogs can also hear sounds that people might not hear. But perhaps their most important role is to keep people warm and comfort them. It is likely petting Velvet's black fur comforted Matty, Kate, and Christina. The same was probably true whenever the friendly dog licked their chins!
Even though they could not yet reach the stranded climbers, rescuers did their part to help them keep calm. They were able to call the climbers on their cell phones to guide them.
The three spent the night in blinding snow and 70 mile-per-hour winds. The forest was dense and dark. Snowflakes swirled around and around. The wind howled all night long; at times, it sounded like the cries of wolves! It was a long night for everyone, including Velvet. During the cold night, she stretched across the three climbers like a warm blanket.
No Place Like Home!
As soon as the sun rose over the glaciers, Erik Brom and other members of the Portland Mountain Rescue Team began their search. The rescue team found the climbers with Velvet in White River Canyon at about 7,400 feet.
"We're soaking wet and freezing!" the three told reporters who shouted questions at them. Upon her return, Christina got into an ambulance to go to the hospital. She had black rings on the skin around her eyes from her injury. Still she was willing to have her picture taken by news reporters. Everybody, Velvet included, was happy to be back at the forest ranger station in the park.
Rescuers said Velvet probably saved the climbers' lives by huddling with them during the cold night.
Russel Gubele was one of the rescue operations leaders. He warned reporters that just knowing how to rock climb does not always mean that a person is ready to climb a mountain that rises out of a deep forest. Still, Matty, Kate, and Christina had been prepared with the right gear, cell phones, the transmitter, and Velvet. They had helped to ensure their own rescue by being prepared.
Even though she is just a pet, Velvet turned out to be one of the operation's rescue heroes. But in the end, Velvet was probably just happy to go home.
"She'll be getting extra treats when we go home," Matty joked.
According to the text, what is the relationship between the climbers petting Velvet’s fur and Velvet licking them?
What ability do dogs have that can help in rescues?
What precaution did the climbers take before their climb?
What does the bark of a dog signal during an emergency?
What role does Velvet serve in the rescue operation?
Use both parts of this text to answer this question.
What is the main idea of the text?
Use both parts of this text to answer this question.
Which statement from the test supports the main idea?