Stan the Traveling Manby Audge Podge

     Stan left the noisy, crowded metropolis to vacation in the country. He was ready to do some fishing. On the way, however, Stan ended up getting lost.     Thus, Stan drove up to the highest mountaintop. The climate was so much colder up there that his teeth chattered. He parked his RV on the side of the gigantic mountain and stood on the vertex to find help below. He did not like asking for directions. (He had his pride after all.) But the RV was low on gasoline. At least his wife was not around. He especially disliked asking for directions when his wife was with him. Unfortunately, all Stan saw was wilderness, no residents. The area was so thinly populated that he did not see a soul.     Then, Stan scratched his head and looked at his map. He had forgotten to press the RV’s emergency brake after reaching the top. Thus, gravity took its toll. The automobile started rolling downhill. Picking up speed on the route, it rolled into the valley and made several twists and turns. Finally, the RV slowed down and stopped right in front of the lake that Stan was trying to find. He estimated that he had chased the RV for about 10 miles. Stan was so tired from running. He had also gotten the sniffles from the cold mountain air. The RV got pretty beat up, too. Stan could not have been more ecstatic, though. Another successful trip without having to ask for directions, he thought.

1. Ecstatic is most likely another word for

A. mysterious.B. responsible.C. unfortunate.D. delighted.

2. Which of the following is the best example of gravity as it is used in the story?A. a cat sleeping in a chairB. a child holding a blanketC. a bike parked in a garageD. a pencil falling from a desk

3. Estimated is most likely another word forA. complained.B. measured.C. joked.D. guessed.

    

 Every afternoon, Bella came home from school and read. Her mom had to remind her to put her book down to do homework. Sometimes, her dad would have to remind Bella to put her book down and eat dinner. Sometimes, Bella's friends even came over to remind her to come outside and play with them. Bella enjoyed reading books for so many reasons. She loved reading books about far away places. She

dreamed about one day being able to visit them. Her friends did not mind Bella reading because she would always recommend a good book for them to read, too. She always knew what to suggest to her friends to read.

4. In the passage above, what is the meaning of the word recommend?

A. remindB. enjoyC. suggestD. bring

     The scientific word for a pimple or a zit is acne. There are many myths that surround acne. The biggest one of all is that popping a pimple is the best way to eliminate it. In fact, this is wrong. Ask any dermatologist. They are doctors who focus on skin health. They will tell you that popping a pimple is the worst thing you can do to get rid of it. Popping a pimple actually allows more germs to get under the skin. This can actually make the pimple bigger. Also, popping a pimple could leave you with a scar. And that lasts longer than any pimple.5. What does the word eliminate mean?

A. make more ofB. to enjoyC. make painfulD. get rid of

6. What does the word dermatologist mean?A. a school counselorB. a doctor who works on the skinC. a doctor who works on the heartD. a rare skin disease

    If you grew up with Abraham Lincoln, you would have seen great changes take place between the time Lincoln was a boy in Kentucky and the time he was president in Washington, D.C. Important changes took place in transportation and communication. When Lincoln was a boy, there were no trains. Mail that had to be delivered across long distances was carried by horse. It took a long time for a message to travel by stagecoach. By the time Lincoln was a grown man, people communicated using the telegraph, which was like an early version of the phone. It allowed messages to be sent very quickly.7. In the passage above, what is the meaning of telegraph?

A. a machine for quickly sending messagesB. when people talk with their thoughtsC. a machine that graphs dataD. an invention that helps people travel

8. In the passage above, what is the meaning of the word stagecoach?A. the place where the actors performB. the person who shows the actors how to actC. a horse-drawn passenger and mail coachD. a producer's assistant in a play

     Elsa trained for many weeks to run in the Turkey Trot. The Turkey Trot was a fun race that her family did every Thanksgiving together. This year, Elsa hoped to beat her older brother. She ran as fast as she could run. She crossed the finish line right before her brother did. She felt triumphant when she finished. Elsa was so proud of herself because she had worked so hard and had run faster than her brother. Elsa's brother was proud of her, too.9. What is the meaning of the word triumphant in the passage?

A. fastB. proudC. tiredD. angry

     There was a large building being built in the middle of the neighborhood. The structure, or building, was strong enough to hold many people. It had a large platform for picnic tables. Parents could watch kids play in the pool and on the playground from the building. The men and women who had to assemble this structure worked very hard. It took many months to put it together. Everyone in the neighborhood was very excited about the new building. It gave all the neighbors a great place to get together.10. What does the word assemble mean?

A. play aroundB. put togetherC. work hardD. very excited