6

Grade

Reading
Levels Y,Z

Comprehension

STORIES INCLUDED
Where Can I Park my Cow?
The Man Who Fed the World
Changing the Face of Medicine
Sir Liam’s Quest
… and 4 more!
www.k5learning.com
Grade 6 Reading Comprehension

Level Y-Z Workbook

by K5 Learning

© K5 Learning 2020

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by any information storage and retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the author. Permission is granted to
reproduce this material to be used with one (1) teacher's students by virtue of the
purchase of this book. In other words, one (1) teacher may make copies of these
worksheets to be used with his/her students. Permission is not given to reproduce the
material for resale.
____________________________________________

Please visit store.k5learning.com for more workbooks from K5 Learning.

 Level Y-Z Reader

Table of Contents
Introduction & Tips ............................................................................................................... 1

List of Vocabulary Words .................................................................................................... 3

Stories & Exercises:

Where Can I Park my Cow? ........................................................................................................ 4

The Man Who Fed the World .................................................................................................... 13

Oopsie Daisy ............................................................................................................................ 21

Moving Mountains ..................................................................................................................... 32

The Case of the Missing Globe ................................................................................................. 43

Changing the Face of Medicine ................................................................................................. 53

Sir Liam’s Quest........................................................................................................................ 62

Friends Over Fears. .................................................................................................................. 72

More from K5 Learning ....................................................................................................... 82

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020

 Level Y-Z Reader

Introduction & Tips

Welcome to our series of levelled reading workbooks. Each workbook contains a
number of texts. Each text is followed by exercises designed to reinforce literacy skills
including reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling and writing. The books include
both fiction and non-fiction passages and explore a wide range of topics in social
studies, nature, history, science and more.

Our readers are “leveled” from A to Z based on a number of factors related to text
complexity such as vocabulary, average word size and sentence length, amount of
repetitiveness of words and sentence structures and subject matter complexity.

Early reading levels use short simple words and sentences in big fonts in a highly
repetitive manner. Stories relate to subjects young children are familiar with. Each
successive level introduces greater reading challenge.

About K5 Learning
K5 Learning provides thousands of free worksheets and affordable workbooks for
children in kindergarten to grade 5.

We work with award-winning teachers to create materials in support of independent

learning.

Our aim is to help parents help their kids develop their reading, math and study skills.
Visit us at www.k5learning.com.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 1

 Level Y-Z Reader

Some tips on using our leveled readers

• Review the vocabulary words on the first page of each story with your student.
Ask your child to read these words and talk about what they mean.

• Ask younger students to read the stories out loud and use their finger to point to
words as they read from left to right. Help them as needed.

• Ask younger students to also read the directions of the exercises out loud.
Remind them to use complete sentences when answering.

• Ask older students to look up words they don’t know in a dictionary.

• Point out punctuation; for example, when there is an exclamation mark ask
them to reread the sentence using more enthusiasm.

• Review your student’s work and guide him or her through any answers that are
not correct.

• Discuss the stories, the characters, the topics, the settings, the pictures –
anything about the text to make it more interesting, relevant or fun.

• Monitor your student’s progress and adjust reading levels as needed.

• Keep the reading fun!

Other books in this series

This book is one of a series of levelled reading workbooks. The levelled reading
approach makes it easy for parents to find appropriate materials for their kids.

The books range from Levels A-C (kindergarten) to Levels X-Z (grade 6).

The books can be purchased and downloaded exclusively from the online bookstore at
K5 Learning store.k5learning.com.

Questions & Feedback

If you have any questions or feedback for us, please contact us at customer-
service@k5learning.com.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 2

 Level Y-Z Reader

List of Vocabulary Words

The following vocabulary words are introduced in this workbook:

anticipation apprehension aquarium audience

barbarians comedy contemplating criticism

discrimination diverse glucose immigrants

impartial impeccable inspire insurmountable

interpreter jury knight legacy

legendary mischievous motive navigation

perseverance phobia photosynthesis pigment

poisonous politicians population poverty

process professor prosecution punchline

resistant respiration revelations signature

sophomore sorceress teetering tenacity

testimony unanimous wheat worrisome

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 3

 Level Y-Z Reader

criticism punchline mischievous

comedy audience sophomore

Where Can I Park my Cow?

“What is a witch’s favorite subject at school?” Jake

leaned into the camera eagerly.

After waiting a few moments for his audience

to make their guesses, he tilted his head
back and replaced the questioning look on his
face with a big, goofy smile. “Spelli ng!” he
exclaimed. Jake paused the video and giggled. It
was his 6th attempt, but he had nailed it that time.

Jake then added a quick thank you for his fans’

support, made a few small edits and pressed the
upload button. The blue loading bar filled up
gradually as Jake’s comedy creation became
available on the internet for all to see. He couldn’t wait for the
public’s reaction.

Jake hadn’t always been so excited to upload comedy videos to

YouTube. He remembered feeling hesitant before uploading his first
short video three years ago. He didn’t like criticism and was worried
that people wouldn’t find him funny.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 4

 Level Y-Z Reader

Now a sophomore in college, Jake leaned back in his chair. He

enjoyed reminiscing over the rocky start of his YouTube journey,
especially as he knew he had grown so much since then. His first
video only had 14 views after 3 months online, but he didn’t give up
and gradually built a following. He now had 20,000 subscribers and
300,000 views in total on his channel. His new video had 20 views
already, and it hadn’t even been 3 minutes since he published it.

Jake abandoned his statistics screen and went to get changed. That
night he was going to see a live show by his favorite comedian,
Magic Myles. Jake had been following Myles for years, and his own
comedy videos were heavily inspired by Myles’ style. Magic Myles’
eyes lit up and a large, mischievous grin spread across his face
when he delivered his lines. Jake thought carefully about his facial
expressions and tried, like Myles, to deliver jokes with suspense that
drew the audience in.

Magic Myles was very popular, and the

comedy club was packed. Jake
carefully made his way through the
crowd and found an empty seat. There
was a real buzz of anticipation in the air.

Jake was surprised when a man in a suit

approached him and stuck out his hand.

“I recognize you! You have a comedy channel on YouTube,” the

man exclaimed.

Jake was shocked. He had never been recognized in public before.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 5

 Level Y-Z Reader

“My name is Frank, and I manage this club,” the man continued,
sitting down beside Jake. “Listen, I keep an eye on up -and-coming
comics. I’ve seen your videos, and I think you’re a funny guy.”

Jake could hardly contain his pride. “Thanks, Frank! It’s nice to meet
you.”

Frank looked Jake in the eyes and nodded assertiv ely, “Myles is
running a little late for the show. How do you feel about doing a
short set, maybe 10 minutes, before Myles goes on?”

Jake felt a rush of energy as he heard those words, and he

immediately agreed. When would he ever get an opportunity like
this? Jake followed Frank eagerly up one
side of the stage, and he waited
excitedly backstage as the curtain rolled
up and introductory music started to play.

Peering out from behind the curtains, Jake looked at all the faces in
the audience. In the fron t row there was a young man with
suspenders; beside him were four older ladies all wearing funny hats.
Everyone seemed to be talking loudly and moving around. Jake
began to feel nervous. This felt a lot different than sitting in front of
the webcam in his bedroom.

The announcer called out his name, and Jake took a few deep
breaths, then walked onto the stage with a big smile on his face. The
audience quieted down and looked at him with curiosity. Jake once
again found himself recalling the emotional roller coaster of his very
first upload.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 6

 Level Y-Z Reader

“Does anyone here know how to tell if someone is a good farmer?”

Jake scanned the audience’s puzzled faces, and he
grinned in anticipation for the punchline,
“They are out-standing in their field!”

The crowd took a mome nt to

process the joke, but soon after they
were shaking their heads and
laughing, a little, at the silly play on
words. Jake prepared to deliver his
next line.

“Personally, I have a big nose and I’m sure many of you in the
audience do as well…” Jake paus ed as certain audience members
smiled and nodded. “But I’ve always wondered why my nose
couldn’t be even bigger. Why couldn’t my nose be 12 inches long?”
A few snickers could be heard from the crowd at the ridiculous
question.

“Now, don’t worry everyone, I ’ve figured out the answer.” Jake
grinned as the crowd waited for the answer. Jake paused to build
the suspense, and then delivered the punchline: “because if my
nose was 12 inches long, it wouldn’t be a nose. It would be a foot!”

There was less laughter this time. A few people politely laughed; a
few others groaned. Mostly it was pretty quiet. Jake began to get
nervous. He wished he could re -record that joke.

“Well, that’s not all folks, because I have another excellent farming
joke for you tonig ht.” The audience groaned in unison.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 7

 Level Y-Z Reader

“Does everyone here use their ears to listen?” Jake inquired. The
audience wasn’t as quiet as previously; some people were starting
to talk to each other rather than listen to Jake. He was losing them.
Undeterred, Jake pressed on:

“Well, I know something that has

lots of ears but can’t hear a single
thing.” Jake smiled and delivered
the answer energetically. “A corn
field, of course!”

This time almost no one laughed.

The silence hit Jake like a ton of
bricks. Jake tried to make eye
contact with the ladies in the front row, but they looked away,
embarrassed for him. Someone rudely booed from the back of the
room. Jake felt his face turning red and began to lose his
composure. He rushed through his remaini ng jokes and then left the
stage to polite, but limited, applause.

Jake felt humiliated as he returned to his seat; it seemed like

everyone was still staring at him, and he was considering bolting
through the exit when the announcer invited Magic Myles on to the
stage.

Myles bounded onto the stage and thanked Jake for warming up
the crowd, saying that he loved farming jokes. In fact, he had been
growing jokes in his garden for years. The audience laughed at this
artful ad -lib and the mood in the room immedi ately improved.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 8

 Level Y-Z Reader

Myles then started teasing the man

wearing suspenders in the front row,
saying he was clearly a farmer and
asking where he had parked his
tractor? The man replied, “Beside
your cow,” and the crowd laughed
again, loving the back and forth.

Jake quickly forgot about his own ordeal as he admiringly watched

Myles transition into his routine, delighting the audience with stories
and jokes which seemed to flow naturally, spontaneously and
effortlessly from him. Jake knew that, in reality, none of it was
effortless. Myles had worked very hard for years perfecting his
routines, but he made it seem like he was just joking with friends as
he worked the crowd.

Myles finally left the stage to thunderous applause; the energy in the
room was electric. The ladies in the front row were whistling and
laughing. Getting lots of views on YouTube was OK, but the feeling
of a live response from people was something entirely different. It
was a lot more emotional. It was intoxicating.

Jake left the club deep in th ought. It had been an incredible and
surreal night. When his routine had bombed and he had left the
stage, he had pretty much decided to give up comedy. Now, after
watching Magic Myles, he was more determined than ever to hone
his craft and make people lau gh. And he wanted to do it live, to
look into their eyes and feel their immediate reaction. Jake had
bombed, but he felt pumped up like never before.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 9

 Level Y-Z Reader

When Jake arrived back home, he opened his laptop. His dashboard
was flooded with notifications.

“What is all of this for,” Jake pondered as he opened up his channel

page and witnessed a whopping 70,000 follower increase in his
subscriber count. A couple of notifications led him to the source of
the new subscribers.

Magic Myles had posted a message to his own 3 million subscribers:

“Hey all you farmers and everyone else out there, check out Jake’s
channel; this kid’s got guts and he’ll be making y’all laugh for years
to come!”

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 10

 Level Y-Z Reader

Where Can I Park My Cow? (exercises)

1. Describe how Jake’s confidence and attitude towards comedy

changes during the story.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

2. What are the two biggest differences between performing live

and uploading videos?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

3. Myles and Jake know that how you tell a joke is as important
as the joke itself. Write a joke and try saying it in different
ways.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 11

 Level Y-Z Reader

Where Can I Park My Cow (answers)

1. Describe how Jak e’s confidence and attitude towards comedy

changes during the story. (Answers may vary)

At the start, Jake is confident because his YouTube channel is

doing so well. After his performance bombs, his confidence is
low, and he feels like giving up. Then, after he watches Myles,
he is inspired and is more determined than ever to become a
good comedian.

2. What are the two biggest differences between performing live

and uploading videos? (Answers may vary)

a. On-line, you can fix mistakes and re -record jokes, while

when performing live you only get one chance .

b. When performing live , you get immediate feedback from

real people; online , you only get written comments later
on.

3. Myles and Jake know that how you tell a joke is as important
as the joke itself. Write a joke and try saying it in different
ways.

Answers will vary.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 12

 Level Y-Z Reader

professor population poverty

resistant politicians wheat

The Man Who Fed the World

In the late 1960s, a professor from Stanford University, Paul Ehrlich,

published a book, The Population Bomb. The opening of the book
reads:

“The battle to feed all humanity is over. In the 1970s hundreds

of millions of people are going to starve…”

The book observed that the bigger the earth’s population was, the
faster it would grow, as more people meant more babies. The author
predicted that the world’s population would continue to grow
geometrically, faster and faster, while noting that the amount of
land we had to grow food on was fixed. We could not make more
land. He believed ominously that the world’s population was on the
brink of outgrowing its food supply.

The book sold millions of copies , and

issues related to population growth
became the subject of news
articles, political debates and talk
shows. Politicians and professors
alike searched for ways to limit
population growth. How could we stop
people from having so many children?

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 13

 Level Y-Z Reader

While all that uproar was going on, a man named

Norman Borlaug knelt in the dirt outside a small village
in Mexico, examining wheat plants.

By then, Borlaug had been in Mexico for almost 10

years. He had grown up on a farm in Iowa, studied
plant science at universi ty, and had left a promising
career with a chemical company to go to Mexico.

It might seem strange for a young man to give up a

comfortable life and a good job to go live in poor
farming communities in a developing country, but Borlaug was
passionate abou t agriculture. He said, “When wheat is ripening
properly, when the wind is blowing across the field, you can hear the
beards of the wheat rubbing together. They sound like the pine
needles in a forest. It is a sweet, whispering music that once you
hear, you never forget.”

Borlaug was equally passionate about helping the millions of poor

farmers who were struggling in absolute poverty around the world.
Mexico at that time was having great difficulties feeding its people
and was forced to import food from oth er countries. Mexican soils
had been depleted by years of farming; the crops had been
ravaged by diseases. Mexican farmers were hopelessly poor, barely
able to feed themselves and their communities.

“These places I’ve seen have clubbed my mind, they are so poor
and depressing,” Borlaug wrote to his wife from Mexico. “I don’t
know what we can do to help these people, but we’ve got to do
something.”

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 14

 Level Y-Z Reader

Borlaug would spend years traveling throughout rural Mexico,

amongst the poorest of the poor, studying Mexic an crops in different
areas. Borlaug’s goal was to breed new strains of wheat which could
thrive in Mexico and thus increase the food production from every
acre of land, improve the lives of the poor farmers, and help Mexico
feed its people.

Farmers have been breeding plants since the beginning of farming

thousands of years ago. Each individual plant has its own
characteristics, or genetic makeup. A plant’s genes help determine
how fast a plant will grow, how big it will be, how much food it will
yield, and how resistant to diseases it will be.

Plants reproduce when pollen from one plant reaches another plant
and pollinates it. The resulting seeds will contain genes – or
characteristics – of both of the two original plants.

Pollinating a fast growing plant with pollen from a disease-resistant

plant may lead to fast -growing, disease -resistant plants. Plant
breeding has been enormously successful, and the plants grown on
farms today produce far more food than the original wild plants
grown by our forefathers thousands of years ago.

However, by the 1950s, further improvements had

been hard to achieve, and agricultural
growth was not keeping up with
population growth. Had we
reached the limits of what
we could expect to
produce from a given area of land?

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 15

 Level Y-Z Reader

Borlaug and his colleagues were certain that crops could be grown
at much higher volumes. They observed that wheat grew best during
different seasons in different places in Mexico. Breaking with
tradition, they began transporting
seeds harvested in one region fo r
immediate replanting in another
region 1,000 miles away, creating
a second growing season.
Borlaug called this method
“shuttle breeding”.

By combining wheat characteristics from different regions, Borlaug

also produced wheat varieties capable of growing in many different
locales. Other successes in breeding wheat strains resulted in plants
that were less vulnerable to disease. The hard work of Borlaug, his
colleagues and the local farmers was paying off. Wheat production
in Mexico had begun to increase.

However, Borlaug ’s greatest discovery was yet to come. Farmers had

increased the use of fertilizers that added nitrogen to the soil,
helping plants grow much faster. However, as farmers used more
and more fertilizer to make taller wheat, the crops grew so t all and
thin that they couldn’t support themselves. The seed heads were far
too heavy, which caused stocks of wheat to bend and fall over,
ruining the food production.

Borlaug knew that the Japanese used a variety of wheat that was
dwarf sized. That wheat could not survive the tropical conditions of
Mexico, but Borlaug carefully interbred the dwarf wheat with
tropical Mexican wheats. The results were revolutionary.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 16

 Level Y-Z Reader

The new wheat plants were stubby but had enormous heads of
seeds. They would not fall over, b ecause their stems were short, thick
and strong. By making the plant smaller, Borlaug had made it more
productive. Wheat production skyrocketed.

The lives of the Mexican farmers with whom Borlaug had spent the
last 10 years improved immeasurably. Mexican f ood production grew
six-fold, and Mexico could not only feed its own people, but the
country also became a major food exporter.

Borlaug’s techniques, now referred to as the Green Revolution, were

then applied to rice, the most important food crop for most of the
world’s population. Borlaug focused his work on the poor and highly
populated Indian subcontinent, which had been struggling to feed
itself and was already importing massive quantities of food. The
region also had one of the world’s highest rates of population
growth. If the population bomb were to explode, it seemed that it
would certainly happen first in India.

By 1968, using Borlaug’s techniques and new strains of crops, the

Indians produced so much grain that they had to turn schools into
temporary storage facilities. India became self -sufficient in food
production by 1974, and since that time, India’s food production
capacity has continued to increase
faster than its population growth.

Borlaug, who won a Nobel Peace Prize in

1970, is often referred to as the “Father of
The Green Revolution”. Others refer to
him as “The Man Who Fed the World”.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 17

 Level Y-Z Reader

The Man Who Fed the World (exercises)

1. Multiple Choice

The Population Bomb was:

a. a device that exploded in India in 1974

b. a song by the Beat les
c. a book predicting that due to high population growth,
the world would run out of food.
d. a movie about World War 2

The Green Revolution was:

a. the rise of environmental groups and environmental

awareness
b. the increase of parks and green space in citi es.
c. a huge increase in food production achieved through
plant breeding.
d. a fashion period in 1968 when everyone wore green
clothes.

What Prize did Norman Borlaug win?

a. an Academy award for his movie “The Green Revolution”

b. a Nobel Prize for his contributions to the Green Revolution
c. a Pulitzer Prize for his book “My Green Revolution”
d. a Grammy award for his song “Help Me Feed the World”

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 18

 Level Y-Z Reader

2. Short Answer

When did people start breeding plants?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

How do you breed plants?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

The farming of grains is critical in feeding the world. What two

grains are discussed t he most in this story?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

3. Norman Borlaug said, “Almost certainly, however, the first

essential component of social justice is adequate food for all
mankind.” What do you think he meant by that?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 19

 Level Y-Z Reader

The Man Who Fed the World (answers)

1. Multiple Choice

c. a book predicting that due to high population growth,

the world would run out of food.
c. a huge increase in food production achieved through
plant breeding.
b. a Nobel Prize for his contributions to the Green Revolution

2. Short Answer

When did people star t breeding plants?

People have been breeding plants since the beginnings of

agriculture thousands of years ago.

How do you breed plants? (Answers may vary)

The simplest way of breeding plants is to cross two plants

(through pollination) to produce seeds which will have
characteristics of the two parent plants.

The farming of grains is critical in feeding the world. What two

grains are discussed the most in this story?

Wheat and rice.

3. Norman Borlaug said, “Almost certainly, however, the first

essential component of social justice is adequate food for all
mankind.” What do you think he meant by that?

Answers may vary.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 20

 Level Y-Z Reader

process signature photosynthesis

glucose pigment respiration

Oopsie Daisy

At the beginning of the school year, Mrs. Malone

came into science class lugging a massive bag
of premium potting soil and an iron wagon full of
terra cotta pots clattering together.

“What’s that for?” asked Richie Welsh.

Mrs. Malone smiled slyly. “The

upperclassmen have announced their spring musical, The Jungle
Book. Our class has been chosen to help out with the props.” She
explained that the production wanted dozens of plants to cover the
sides of the stage, to help the audience feel like the cast rea lly was
in a jungle. “They want all kinds of vegetation,” she explained.

MaryAnn Anderson raised her hand. “I don’t know how to grow

anything.”

“That’s okay,” Mrs. Malone assured her. “You don’t have to have a
green thumb, yet; we’ll all learn together.”

For the next few science classes, they read all about how plants
grow. Green plants have the incredible ability to create their own
food using only sunlight, water and air.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 21

 Level Y-Z Reader

Green plants are green because they contain a pigment called

chlorophyll. The chlo rophyll can absorb light; this absorbed light is
used in photosynthesis, the magical process whereby green plants
use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide from the air to create
oxygen and a sugar called glucose. Through photosynthesis, plants
turn light energy from the sun into chemical
energy, stored as glucose.

The plant’s cells use the glucose to give them the

energy to grow and multiply. “It’s something
called cellular respiration,” Mrs. Malone told them
as Richie Welsh took big, exaggerated gulps of a ir.
“It’s as if the plants are breathing, too, in their own way.”

The students learned that as the cells grow and multiply, the plant
gets bigger. The bigger the plant gets, the more green leaves
(chlorophyll) they have, and the more sunlight they can ab sorb.
Absorbing more sunlight creates more glucose which causes the
plant’s cells to grow and multiply even more, which in turn creates
even more chlorophyll, and so on and so on. That’s how plants go
from tiny little seeds to big plants with their signatu re green color.

The class researched different trees and shrubs, trying to find out
which ones grew best in different climates, and they po ured over
textbooks detailing how the plants wilted or thrived in varying
conditions. Eventually, their teacher decid ed they were ready to
begin the gardening process. After a consultation with the cast of
The Jungle Book, Mrs. Malone read a long list of plants and flowers
they had decided to grow: spider plants, green -leafed pothos,
snake plants —

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 22

 Level Y-Z Reader

Richie Welsh’s eyes grew wide. “We’re growing snakes?”

“Nope,” Maya said, chuckling. “They’re called that

because the leaves are tall and pointed, like a
snake’s head.”

Mrs. Malone kept reading. “Philodendrons, which

grow rapidly and have large, rounded le aves, ivy,
ferns, daisies, carnations, and finally, orchids.”

Then the class discussed where to put their plants . They decided that
the mix of sunlight and shade would be best near the pavilion
outside the cafeteria. They laid out sections for each type o f plant,
then split into teams that would be in charge of each species. They
worked together to lay down soil and fertilizer, organized their seeds
and saplings, and began to plant.

“This is hard work,” MaryAnn complained, rubbing her knees where

she’d been crouching over a row of clay pots.

Mrs. Malone promised her that if she finished the planting, eventually
her hard work would pay off.

Over the next few months, the class diligently tended to their plants .
They carefully applied fertilizer, watered the soil and pruned off any
leaves that had turned brown and shriveled up. Everyone agreed
that they should create a schedule to take turns watering, but Mrs.
Malone had to keep reminding Richie to show up for his shift.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 23

 Level Y-Z Reader

Meanwhile, nearly all their seeds had begun to

germinate and poke through the sod, and the plants
flourished under their class’s careful gardening.
Everyone was pretty pleased.

A few days before the doors were set to

open for The Jungle Book, Richie asked for a
bathroom pass in the middl e of an algebra
lesson. In the hallway, the cast of the play could
be heard practicing their lines and singing lyrics .
Anticipation for the play’s opening night was building. Just as Mrs.
Malone began to demonstrate how to combine integers, Richie burst
back into the room, yelling. “Mrs. Malone!”

“Good grief Richie, what’s the matter?”

Richie was panting too hard to speak at first. “I was just checking on
my plants, and something awful has happened to them —they’re
cursed!”

Mrs. Malone raised an eyebrow. In all the commotion, the actors in

the hallway had stopped singing, and the rest of the class had all
swiveled around in their seats to stare at Richie. Since beginning
their plant project, the students had become very invested in
making sure their vegetatio n was ready for opening night.

“Calm down, Richie,” Mrs. Malone said. “I doubt they're cursed, but
let’s go check on them.”

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 24

 Level Y-Z Reader

Richie led them outside to their makeshift garden and over to the
flower section. The row of carnations and daisies, his respons ibility,
were supposed to be standing at attention like soldiers with delicate
white petals. Instead, they were a bit drooping and waterlogged,
and all different colors.

Some were a shockingly bright crimson red, others

were a positively purple hue, and t here were
brilliant cobalt blue flowers in the back.
Everyone was confused, because all the
flowers had been white when they’d left for the
weekend. Mrs. Malone’s brow furrowed.

“Did he color in the petals with a red marker or

something?” MaryAnn Anderson asked.

“No, I swear!” Richie promised.

“Have you been watering the plants correctly?” Mrs. Malone asked,
suspicion in her voice.

Richie replied earnestly. “I did water them, really I did. I even gave
them my homemade Kool -Aid so they would get extra sug ar and
grow faster.”

Mrs. Malone shook her head. “Is your Kool -Aid dyed different
colors?”

Richie shrugged. “I don’t know. My mom makes Crazy Cherry,

Bombastic Blue Raspberry, and Glorious Grape.”

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 25

 Level Y-Z Reader

Mrs. Malone nodded and smiled. “I see what happened.

Flowers have special vascular tissues, called
xylem, that help transport the nutrients from the
soil and the water into the stems and leaves.
Usually, the water evaporates into the air, but
food coloring doesn’t evaporate. When you
watered your flowers using th e Kool-Aid, the
colors stayed in the plant and slowly dyed the
petals different colors.”

Richie looked very, very guilty. He’d been

caught red and purple and blue-handed.

“Let’s go see what the upperclassmen think,” Mrs. Malone said. “It’s
time to show the cast of the play what their set decorations are
going to look like.”

Together, the class carefully transported all their plants to the

auditorium, including Richie’s colored flowers . They arranged all the
greenery on either side of the stage, scat tering their plants in
different spots to give the effect that the actors who would walk
behind the plants were knee -high in a wild tropical forest. They even
laid down tarps so that no soil would accidentally spill and create a
slipping hazard. Eventually it was time for the reveal.

“It really does look like a jungle,” whispered MaryAnn as the cast
walked in to admire the fruits of their labor.

Mrs. Malone pulled Richie aside. “Look, you can’t even tell that your
flowers were supposed to be white,” she p ointed out.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 26

 Level Y-Z Reader

Richie smiled. “That’s true. But next time I won’t cut any corners, I
promise.”

To make up for his blunder, Richie volunteered to be the announcer

on opening night. The audience took their seats and after the
orchestra finished warming up, Richie jumped on stage and grabbed
the microphone. “Ladies and gentleman,” he cried. “Please be
seeded.”

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 27

 Level Y-Z Reader

Oopsie Daisy (exercises)

1. Multiple Choice

Which play are the school upperclassmen putting on?

a. Les Miserables
b. High School Musical
c. The Music Man
d. The Jungle Book

What was NOT one of the plants grown by Mrs. Malone’s class?

a. spider plant
b. carnation
c. ivy
d. sunflower

How did Richie’s flowers end up so colorful?

a. They were tie -dyed.

b. He watered them with Kool -Aid.
c. He wrapped them in colored paper.
d. They are mood flowers.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 28

 Level Y-Z Reader

2. Vocabulary

That’s how plants go from tiny little seeds to big plants with
their signature green color.

What does the word, “signature” mean in this sentence?

a. distinct
b. unusual
c. disgusting
d. yellowing

Over the next few months, the class diligently tended to their
plants, checking on them every afternoon at recess and
carefully applying fertilizer, watering and pruning off any
leaves that turned brown and shriveled up .

What does the word, “diligently” mean in this sentence?

a. lazily
b. casually
c. with dedication
d. hurriedly

Since beginning their plant project, the students had become

very invested in making sure their vegetation was ready for
opening night.

What does the word, “invested” mean in this sentence?

a. cautious
b. devoted
c. disinterested
d. bored

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 29

 Level Y-Z Reader

To make up for his blunder, Richie volunteered to be the

announcer on opening night .

What does the word, “blunder” mean in this sentence?

a. silly mistake
b. dorkiness
c. best behavior
d. bad grades

3. Short Answer

Explain the process of photosynthesis. Be sure to include what

elements are used and what elements are produced:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 30

 Level Y-Z Reader

Oopsie Daisy (answers)

1. Multiple Choice

Which play are the school upperclassmen putting on?

d. The Jungle Book

What was NOT one of the plants grown by Mrs. Malone’s class?

d. sunflower

How did Richie’s flowers end up so colorful?

b. He watered them with Kool -Aid.

2. Vocabulary

a. distinct
c. with dedication
b. devoted
a. silly mistake

3. Short Answer

Explain the process of photosynthesis. Be sure to include what

elements are used and what elements are produced:

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use sunlight,

water, and carbon dioxide to create oxygen and energy in the
form of glucose.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 31

 Level Y-Z Reader

poisonous immigrants barbarians

teetering interpreter discrimination

Moving Mountains

The woven-reed basket dangled over the edge of a cliff, swinging

dangerously close to the mountainside. Ling squeezed his eyes shut,
took a deep breath, and tried to steady the teetering basket, which
he had made, and in which he was a passenger. He had pa inted
special Chinese characters and symbols on the basket to help ward
off evil spirits, and now he prayed they would help keep him safe.
He kept his eyes closed and avoided looking down at the jagged
rocks hundreds of feet below him.

Ling was working fo r the railroad as a basket man because he was

small, young and desperate for work. Ling was also brave; he had
been only 13 years old when he had left his tiny village in China and
traveled to this foreign land.

He remembered how terrified he had felt say ing goodbye to his

family and boarding the ship that would take him away from
everyone and everything that he loved. At first, he was
very seasick and had trouble sleeping on his bunk.
He was used to his board bed and wooden pillow at
home. The bunks were too soft for him to get
comfortable, and the back -and-
forth rolling of the ocean waves
made his stomach churn.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 32

 Level Y-Z Reader

He hardly dared to eat the strange stews they served on the ship. His
grandfather had told him that America was full of powerful wizards
and barbarians. Ling worried that the food served by the Americans
was poisonous, so he ate as little as possible.

They had voyaged across the great ocean for

a little over two months before finally arriving
in San Francisco. Ling’s relief at finally being
on land again was short -lived, however. As he
made his way down the ship’s ramp with a group of
exhausted Chinese immigrants, he was greeted by a shower of mud,
potatoes, and stones pelting his skin, leaving bruises and blood. A
gang of young white boys followe d them almost all the way to the
Chinese Quarter, hurling things at them and shouting.

Ling did not speak English, but he could feel the cruelty of the boys’
words. He couldn’t understand how these boys could hate him so
much when he had never met them be fore, and they knew nothing
about him. Unfortunately, many Americans feared the Chinese
immigrants because their culture, religion, and language was
different, and some Americans believed that Chinese immigrants
were going to steal all their jobs. To them, Ling, a scrawny boy with
a different color of skin, different features, and a different language,
was a threat.

Once Ling arrived, bloody and bruised, in the Chinese Quarter, he

was led to a Chinese agent who helped him find work with the
railroad company. And now, one month later, he was at Cape Horn
Pass, dangling in a basket from a sheer cliff, fourteen -hundred feet
above a wild, rushing river.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 33

 Level Y-Z Reader

The railroad company needed to cut through the cliff and make a
trail wide enough to lay railroad tracks. A t first, it seemed an
impossible task, but then a Chinese interpreter told his crew boss
how they had built roads along the faces of steep cliffs where he
was from in China. The railroad boss liked the idea and had loads of
reeds sent from San Francisco. T he Chinese workers wove these
reeds into wicker baskets just big enough for one small person. The
baskets were attached to ropes and a pulley system was used to
lower the basket man over the cliff to place explosives in the
rockface. They worked in teams o f three; two men would be
at the top of the cliff holding the rope and working the
pulley, and one, the smallest, would be lowered down the
cliff in the basket. It was the most dangerous job in the
whole operation, and it was almost always young
Chinese boys, like Ling, who were told to get in the
basket.

While Ling was trying to learn English and the ways of this
new country, he mostly stayed with the other Chinese
workers in camp. The Chinese workers received less pay,
less food and generally were treated more poorly than
workers of European descent. Most of the other workers were
indifferent toward the Chinese immigrants, but some were outright
hostile.

One evening, as Ling was eating his simple supper of rice and dried
salmon with some of his friends, t wo men approached them. One of
them, a balding man with a ruddy complexion , staggered toward
them.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 34

 Level Y-Z Reader

“I’m so sick of you people! Why don’t you go back to where you
came from? We don’t want you here!” he yelled at them.

Ling and his friends looked at the grou nd and didn’t speak, in hopes
that the man would leave them alone, but this only enraged him
further.

“I’m talking to you, boy!” The man stood close enough that Ling
could smell the alcohol on his breath.

“I hope I don’t accidentally let go of the rope tom orrow.” The man
laughed and kicked dirt into their food. “I’ll send you home one way
or another!” With that, the two men walked away.

The next day, as Ling prepared for his day’s work, he could not help
but worry about the people who were on his team. Lin g’s life was in
their hands. Did they hate Chinese people like the man the previous
night? Would they pull him back up to safety? Ling wasn’t sure, but
he really had no choice; if he didn’t do his job, he would be sent
away. He remembered his grandmother’ s words
before he left his home. “Be strong here,” she
said, tapping his forehead. “And here,”
she said, tapping his chest. “And you
can move mountains.”

On the job site, Ling and several other

Chinese boys climbed into their baskets
and were lowered over the edge of the
formidable cliffs, like spiders on a
gossamer web.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 35

 Level Y-Z Reader

When Ling reached the elevation where rock needed

to be blasted away, he grabbed a protruding branch
and pulled himself closer to the mountainside. With a
chisel and hammer, he pounded a hole into the
rock. Then as carefully as possible, he poured
gunpowder into the hole. Everything had to be done
with extreme caution —one wrong move, and the
powder could explode. He placed the fuse, lit it, and
then shouted for his team to pull him up. His basket
bucked up slightly, but it wasn’t moving fast enough.

He could hear shouts from above him, but he couldn’t understand

the words. Something was wrong. The fuse was quickly burning closer
and closer to the gunpowder, and he should have been pulled a way
from it by now. Panicked, Ling grabbed the rope holding his basket,
and began to climb the cable. His hands were starting to bleed and
his arms burned with the effort of pulling his weight up the thick,
coarse rope. He thought of his family back home, of his village, and
climbed as fast as he could. He reached the top of the cliff but
couldn’t scramble over the edge without letting go of the rope.
Suddenly a hand grabbed him and jerked him over the edge just as
an explosion shook the ground, blasting ch unks of rock and pieces
of his basket all around him. Some of the flying rocks stung his skin,
but he was alive!

“Are you alright?” Ling’s rescuer asked. The man’s face was pale,
and his hands were trembling. “The rope got knotted. We couldn’t
get the pulley to work. I thought you were a goner. You are one
lucky fellow!”

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 36

 Level Y-Z Reader

It took 300 basket men (boys, really) ten days to blast through Cape
Horn Pass, but Ling never again worried about trusting his co -workers
to pull him up. Ling had learned that just as he blasted through
mountains with gunpowder and fire, he could blast through the
mountains of hatred and discrimination that lay before him in this
new country.

Decades later, while watching his grandson play in a Little League

baseball game at a park in Sa n Francisco, Ling thought of that day
on the cliff. His life had been hard, and he had overcome a lot, so
that his grandchildren could grow up in a land of freedom and
opportunity. He was a proud basket boy who had worked hard to
ensure his grandchildren w ould have an easier life.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 37

 Level Y-Z Reader

Moving Mountains (exercises)

1. Vocabulary

Ling had to learn a new language when he came to America.

Many times, he had to figure out what a word means by what
was being said and how it was being said. Look at the context
clues for the underlined words below and select the best
definition.

Ling squeezed his eyes shut, took a deep breath, and tried to
steady the teetering basket, which he had made, and in which
he was a passenger.

a. laughing or chuckling quietly

b. funny-looking
c. strong, firm
d. swaying back and forth, unbalanced

His grandfather had told him that America was full of powerful
wizards and barbarians.

a. someone who cuts hair

b. a cruel and uncivilized person
c. someone who is extremely nice
d. a person from the country, Barbary

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 38

 Level Y-Z Reader

Unfortunately, many Americans feared the Chinese immigrants

because their culture, religion, and language was different,
and some Americans believed that these Chinese immigrants
were going to steal all their jobs .

a. someone who moves to a different country

b. someone who is trying to overthrow a country
c. someone who copies someone else
d. someone who is leaving a country

Most of the other workers were indifferent toward the Chinese

immigrants, but some were outright hostile .

a. not being alike

b. angry
c. unconcerned, paying little attention
d. kind

One of them, a balding man with a ruddy complexion,

staggered toward them .

a. being covered in mud

b. having a happy face
c. having a reddish face
d. having a sad face

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 39

 Level Y-Z Reader

On the job site, Ling and several other Chinese boys climbed
into their baskets and were lowered over the edge of the
formidable cliffs, like spiders on a gossamer web .

a. impressively large and intimidating

b. easily formed, like dough
c. small, non -impressive
d. two-sided

2. Story Elements

It is important to know the stories from history, and it’s

important to share our own stories. Stories have essential
elements such as setting, character, or plot. Setting is the
where of the story or background, character is the who of the
story, and plot is what happens in the story. For each statement
below, put S if it’s a setting statement, C if it’s a character
statement, or P if it’s a plot statement.

__________ The woven-reed basket dangled over the edge of a

cliff, swinging dangerously close to the
mountainside.

__________ They worked in teams of three; two men would be at

the top of the cliff holding the rope and working the
pulley, and one, the smallest and brave st, would be
lowered down the cliff in the basket .

__________ He had been only 13 years old when he had left his
small village in China .

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 40

 Level Y-Z Reader

__________ When Ling reached the elevation where rock

needed to be blasted away, he reached cautiously
for a protruding branch and pulled himself closer to
the mountainside.

__________ And now, one month later, he was at Cape Horn

Pass, dangling in a basket from a sheer cliff,
fourteen-hundred feet above a rushing river .

__________ Suddenly a hand grabbed him a nd jerked him over

the edge just as an explosion shook the ground,
blasting chunks of rock and pieces of his basket all
around him.

3. Connection

Do you think that Ling, at the end of the story, wished he had
stayed in China? Why or why not?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 41

 Level Y-Z Reader

Moving Mountains (answers)

1. Vocabulary

d. swaying back and forth, unbalanced

b. a cruel and uncivilized person
a. someone who moves to a different country
c. unconcerned, paying little attention
c. having a reddish face
a. impressively large and intimidating

2. Story Elements

3. Answers will vary.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 42

 Level Y-Z Reader

impartial prosecution motive

testimony unanimous jury

The Case of the Missing Globe

On Friday, Mr. Fischer announced to the class

that they would have a substitute teacher the
following week because he’d been
summoned for jury duty. “I won’t be on
vacation,” he told his students. “We all
have a responsibility as citizens to show
up to a trial when we’re needed, to listen
to evidence and to render a fair verdict or
decision.”

“Why does it have to be now?” Fatima

asked. “We’re right in the middle of building
our Branches of Government trees.”

Mr. Fischer grinned. “Because, under the Sixth Amendment to the

Constitution, everyone has a right to a speedy trial without waiting
on long delays.” He explained that he was going to be sequestered,
or isolated away from his family and news updates, in order to
remain impartial and fair . While he was gone, he had a little
assignment for them. “I’ll need you to solve a mystery for me, just
like a jury would in a courtroom.”

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 43

 Level Y-Z Reader

All the students murmured in confusio n, but Mr. Fischer just winked at
them. The bell rang, and everyone jumped out of their seats , stuffing
their papers in their desks before rushing out the door for the
weekend.

On Monday, when the students arrived back in the classroom , their

substitute teacher was waiting for them. “Hi, everyone. I’m Ms.
Wilson, and I’ve got a special assignment from your regular teacher.
We’re going to do a mock court case,” she told them. “If you look to
the back of the classroom, just below the windo ws, you may notice
something strange, if you are very observant.”

The class went silent as everyone swiveled around to stare at the

scene.

“The globe is missing!” Ethan cried out. The miniature Earth, a sphere
about the size of a soccer ball that depicted every country and
continent on the planet, was indeed gone from its usual perch by
the pencil sharpener.

Ms. Wilson nodded seriously. “Correct. And the student accused of

taking it is… Sadie.”

Now the whole class pivoted to stare at Sadie, who

sat in the corner with her arms
folded across her chest, frowning.
“I did not!”

“I guess she pleads not guilty,”

whispered Fatima.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 44

 Level Y-Z Reader

“It’s a pretend case,” Ms. Wilson reminded them, before explaining

what the class would be doing. She began by splitting them into
three groups. Just like in a real courtroom, twelve of Sadie’s
classmates would act as the jury, and they
would be sent out of the room until
everyone else was ready to start the mock
trial. The second group would be in
charge of defending Sadie and coming
up with evidence that she had not stolen

the globe. The third group would act as the

prosecution, laying out all the reasons that Sadie might have snuck
away with the globe. Meanwhile, Ms. Wilson, who was playing the
judge, moved Sadie to the front of th e classroom, where she would
watch from a special chair.

“All right, are we ready to get started?” Ms. Wilson asked once each
group had had plenty of time to form their arguments. “We’ll start
with the prosecution, the side accusing Sadie of taking the globe.
And remember, in a democracy, we are all innocent until proven
guilty.”

She called the students who were on the jury back into the room,
and everyone took their seats. Carmen, acting as one of the
prosecuting lawyers against Sadie, stepped up to the front.

“Ms. Wilson, I mean, Your Honor, Sadie’s desk is at the very back of
our classroom, only a few feet from the shelf where the globe usually
sits. She was in a perfect position to take the globe, and she had
ample time after the bell rang on Friday to snatch it up.”

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 45

 Level Y-Z Reader

Sadie started to pipe up in protest, but Ms. Wilson shook her head,
explaining that Sadie wasn't allowed to talk while they debated the
crime.

“We’d like to call a witness,” Carmen requested. Their classmate,

Oliver, stood up and trampe d to the front of the classroom. He
explained that on Friday, after the bell had rung, they’d run out to
the parking lot and found it pouring rain,
necessitating everyone to huddle under umbrellas
and duck underneath awnings.

“I saw Sadie wearing an enorm ous yellow rain

poncho,” Oliver told the jury dramatically. “She
could easily fit the globe underneath the
poncho, and nobody would have noticed.”

When the prosection had finished presenting

their evidence, Ms. Wilson let Marcus, the student defending Sadi e,
take the floor. He gave a speech about how Sadie had no obvious
motive, or reason, to have grabbed the globe. Then, he called his
own witnesses to give testimony about Sadie, all of whom described
her as a straight-A student who was kind to everyone and respectful
in class. Marcus was trying to convey to the students on the jury that
Sadie was a law-abiding citizen.

When both the prosecution and defence had completed their

arguments, Mrs. Wilson said, “Now, we’ll let the jury deliberate, which
means we have to give them time to think and debate, before we
ask them to tell us their decision. They’ll all vote on whether Sadie is
innocent or guilty, and the vote has to be unanimous.”

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 46

 Level Y-Z Reader

As the jury left the room to deliberate, the rest of the class wait ed
for their classmates to reach a verdict . They knew that in the town’s
municipal building, Mr. Fischer was also part of a jury deliberating
over a verdict, except in his case it was a real crime and a real
accused person.

Eventually, the door cracked open, an d

the jury filed back into the room.

“Have you reached your verdict?”

Ms. Wilson asked the jury.

Dev, the elected spokesperson for the jury, piped up. “Yes, Your
Honor, we have. We find Sadie… not guilty of stealing the missing
globe!”

The students on the defense team whooped and cheered, and

surrounded Sadie in a group hug. The students on the prosecution
grumbled only a little, knowing that the important thing was that the
trial was fair and that justice was served.

Ms. Wilson explained that th e not guilty verdict meant Sadie had
been cleared of all charges and she was free to go. When the bell
rang, everyone took off for home.

The following Monday morning, when the students arrived, they

found Mr. Fischer back in his usual chair. “How was your court room
experience?” he asked. “Did you find Sadie guilty?”

All the students shook their heads.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 47

 Level Y-Z Reader

“Wait a minute, if Sadie didn’t do it, then who did?” Fatima asked.
“Are we going to have another trial?”

Mr. Fischer’s face lit up, and he grinned slyly. He wal ked over to his
desk, unzipped his leather backpack, and pulled out the globe. “I
confess,” he told them. “I took the globe home with me before I left
for jury duty. Did none of you suspect me?”

The class gasped, then burst into laughter.

“I’m glad you le arned a little about how a trial works, because the
judicial system is a really important part of how our country
functions. It is how we make sure that everyone plays by the same
rules and obeys the same laws,” Mr. Fischer explained. “However,
I’m afraid I find you all guilty…of acing this assignment!”

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 48

 Level Y-Z Reader

The Case of the Missing Globe (exercises)

1. Multiple Choice

How many people are on a standard jury ?

a. five
b. seven
c. twelve
d. eighteen

Why does Carmen call Oliver as a witness during the trial ?

a. Oliver hates Sadie .

b. Oliver saw Sadie in a large rain poncho .
c. Oliver and Sadie take the same bus home .
d. Oliver is the most honest person in the class .

Which of the following was NOT evidence that Sadie was

innocent?

a. She was absent that day.

b. She had no motive.
c. She was a good student.
d. She was respectful in class.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 49

 Level Y-Z Reader

2. Vocabulary

“If you look to the back of the classroom, just below the
windows, you may notice something strange, if you’re very
observant.” What does the word “observant” mean in this
sentence?

a. attentive
b. demanding
c. lazy
d. cautious

“The second group would be in charge of defending Sadie and

coming up with evidence that she couldn’t possibly have
stolen the globe.” What does the word “defending” mean in
this sentence?

a. arguing with
b. punishing
c. tickling
d. supporting

“Then, he called his own witnesses to give testimony about Sadie,

all of whom described her as a straight -A student who was kind
to everyone and respectful in class . Marcus was trying to convey
to the students on the jury that Sadie was a law -abiding citizen.”
What does the word “convey” mean in this sentence?

a. cover up
b. pretend
c. communicate
d. dance

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 50

 Level Y-Z Reader

3. Short Answer

What does the Sixth Amendment provide for?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Mr. Fischer’s class takes several measures to make sure their

mock court experience is fair and honest. What are some
examples of that?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

If you were a lawyer, would you defend someone who you

thought was guilty? Why or why not?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 51

 Level Y-Z Reader

The Case of the Missing Globe (answers)

1. Multiple Choice

c. twelve
b. Oliver saw Sadie in a large rain poncho.
a. She was absent that day.

2. Vocabulary

a. attentive
d. supporting
c. communicate

3. Short Answer

What does the Sixth Amendment provide for?

Everyone has a right to a speedy trial without waiting on long

delays.

Mr. Fischer’s class takes several measures to make sure their

mock court experience is fair and honest. What are some
examples of that?

Answers may vary.

If you were a lawyer, would you defend someone who you

thought was guilty? Why or why not?

Answers may vary .

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 52

 Level Y-Z Reader

inspire diverse insurmountable

legacy tenacity perseverance

Changing the Face of Medicine

The year was 1852, and Rebecca Lee Crumpler had just arrived in
Boston, Massachusetts to begin working as a nurse. The city was busy
and loud. At twenty -one years old, she had left behind the life she
knew and was attempting to achieve the impossible.
She wanted to be the first African Amer ican woman
to become a doctor in the United States.

Boston was a bustling city with a huge

population, but Crumpler felt alone in more
ways than one. There were very few African
Americans, and many people were not welcoming
to her. At best, she was ignored . At worst, she was
treated as though she was worth less than those around her. In other
parts of the country, African Americans were still held in slavery.

Being a woman didn’t help her either. In 1852, women did not even
have the right to vote. It was r are for women to work in fields other
than educating children or other traditionally acceptable jobs. But
Crumpler, inspired by her aunt who had tended to the sick while
Crumpler was growing up, had come to the city to pursue a career
in medicine. Despite the seemingly insurmountable challenges,
Crumpler stayed focused on her goal .

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 53

 Level Y-Z Reader

She struggled to find work and faced constant rejection because

she was a woman and because of the color of her skin. It was not
easy finding someone willing to give her a chance . Eventually, she
did find a job as a nurse, and she knew that she would have to work
much harder than anyone else to prove herself.

Through hard work and perseverance, Crumpler earned the

admiration of the doctors she assisted for eight years as a nurse.
They were so impressed with her knowledge and natural talent that
they encouraged her to apply to medical school to become a
doctor.

While that was exactly what Crumpler wanted to do, the idea of her
becoming a doctor was ridiculous to those who didn’t k now her. In
the United States, no African American woman had ever been
accepted into a medical school, let alone become a doctor, and
only 0.5% of the country’s doctors were women. By being both a
woman and an African American, her chances of being accepte d
were almost zero. The doctors who supported her wrote letters of
recommendation to convince colleges that Crumpler deserved the
opportunity, but she was turned down over and over again.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 54

 Level Y-Z Reader

Crumpler refused to give up, and in 1860 she began the next step o f
her journey at The New England Female Medical College. The
college was not very well respected in the medical community. The
college faced more criticism by allowing an African American
woman to study there. Just like when she arrived in Boston, Crumpler
knew she had to work harder than anyone else to prove herself. Four
years later, she became the first African American woman ever to
earn the degree of Doctor of Medicine in the United States.

Armed with her degree, Crumpler began to seek work as a doctor ,

remembering her aunt and the reason she had decided to become
a doctor. Her motivation wasn’t to be important or to be the first to
do anything. All she’d ever wanted was to help other people live
happy and healthy lives. However, finding a job as a doct or was
even more difficult than becoming a nurse.

She tried to find work at several hospitals in the area, but most of
them rejected her immediately. Even when she did find work, some
of the other doctors treated her terribly. Sometimes they refused to
let her see patients. They questioned her knowledge about how to
care for patients because they believed that because she was
African American, she didn’t know what she was doing.

Eventually, Crumpler found work as a doctor

caring for African American women and
children. The work was satisfying, and she finally
felt like she was able to serve her community
well.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 55

 Level Y-Z Reader

When the Civil War ended in 1865, and slavery was brought to an
end in the United States, Crumpler decided to move her career in a
new direction. She accepted a position with the United States
government to help provide newly freed slaves with quality medical
care in Richmond, Virginia. The move brought new rewards and
challenges. The treatment of African Americans in Richmond was far
worse than it was in Boston. Many people there still considered
African Americans to be like slaves even though they were free.
Additionally, women doctors were still incredibly rare. Despite all her
knowledge and her position as a trained doctor, m any people
refused to treat Crumpler with respect.

She did not let that stop her. She focused her efforts on caring for
women and children, even those who could not pay. Many of her
African American patients would have had no access to any
medical care whatso ever, if it were not for her. Crumpler’s medical
practice became incredibly busy, and she found her work to be
immensely rewarding. Her long -held dreams had become a reality.

When Crumpler first arrived in Boston, she had no African American

female role models. Most doctors in the country were men and, of
the few women who were doctors, none of them were African
American. Universities and hospitals mostly refused to give her
opportunities because of who she was; however, she never quit and
with tenacity and determination achieved
her goals. Though Crumpler helped
thousands of patients, her biggest
accomplishment may have been in
carving a path for other African
Americans to follow in the future.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 56

 Level Y-Z Reader

Rebecca Lee Crumpler was one of many people in history who

challenged prejudices against African Americans and women. Her
legacy lives on today. Our doctors’ offices and hospitals now look
very different from the ones in Crumpler’s time. They are filled with
knowledgeable men and women of diverse backgrounds. Her lif e’s
work is proof that it’s possible to not only pursue your own dreams,
but also to inspire others to reach higher and achieve more.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 57

 Level Y-Z Reader

Changing the Face of Medicine (exercises)

1. Vocabulary

Using context clues, determine the meaning of each

underlined word or phrase.

Boston was a bustling city with a huge population, but

Crumpler felt alone in more ways than one.

a. quiet
b. small
c. unimportant
d. busy

Despite the seemingly insurmountable challenges, Crumpler

stayed focused on her goal.

a. easy to solve
b. too difficult to overcome
c. busy and loud
d. quickly finished

The work was satisfying, and she finally felt like she was able to
serve her community, but when the Civil War ended in 1865,
she felt compelled to move her career in a new direction.

a. determined
b. frightened
c. saddened
d. confused

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 58

 Level Y-Z Reader

2. Short answers

When Rebecca Lee Crumpler was alive, why was it difficult for
African Americans and women to become doctors?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

How is becoming a doctor different today?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 59

 Level Y-Z Reader

3. A lot has changed since the 1850s. Compare and contrast

working as a doctor in Crumpler’s time and working as a doctor
today.

Ways the past and present Ways the past and present
are similar are different

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 60

 Level Y-Z Reader

Changing the Face of Medicine (answers)

1. Vocabulary

d. busy
b. too difficult to overcome
a. determined

2. Short Answers

When Rebecca Lee Crumpler was alive, why was it difficult for
African Americans and women to become doctors?

Because many people at that time believed that women could

not perform the duties of a doctor as well as m en could.

How is becoming a doctor different today?

The doctors’ offices and hospital s now are filled with

knowledgeable men and women of diverse backgrounds.

Using your answers above and additional evidence from the

text and your own life experiences, compare and contrast
working as a doctor in Crumpler’s time and working as a doctor
today.

Answers may vary.

3. Compare and Contrast

Answers may vary.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 61

 Level Y-Z Reader

impeccable legendary sorceress

revelations navigation knight

Sir Liam’s Quest

Sir Liam’s horse, Storm, brayed and abruptly backed up several feet,
causing Liam to jerk on the reins to steady her.

Liam looked over his horse’s head to see that a terrified woman had
fallen on the dirt path in front of them, one arm held up as if she
were blocking the sun. “Excuse me, madam. Are you hurt?” Liam
asked. The woman shook her head, but when she struggled to her
feet, she could not walk well, having twisted her ankle as she fell.

Liam reluctantly asked for her destination, and she quietly

responded that she was heading toward the inner city. Liam
suppressed a scowl. He didn’t want to take the woman back to the
kingdom. He would much rather continue his quest. However, it was
part of the Knight’s Code that they remain chivalric to an y member
of the kingdom, and that
included peasant women in
rags who ran into horses in the
woods. “Allow me to carry
you to the city,” Liam said.

The two of them were only a

few minutes into their journey
before the woman spoke.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 62

 Level Y-Z Reader

“Forgive me for prying, S ir. It’s just that I’ve never seen a knight
patrolling the forest by himself.”

Liam did not want to have a discussion with the young lady; he had
much more important things to think about, but he remained polite,
replying, “Your memory is impeccable, madam . You are correct.
Usually, we patrol in pairs or small groups.”

“Then, why are you by yourself?” she asked.

Liam chastised himself for taking the woman with him. Was she going
to interrogate him all the way into the city? He considered leaving
her on the side of the path and carrying on with his quest, but, once
again, he remained polite. “I am not part of a patrol. I am tasked
with a quest.”

Liam again thought of the morning two weeks ago when Sir John
had burst into the throne room, sweating and with ey es wide open in
fear and amazement. Sir John knelt before the King and told
everyone about a dream that he had the previous night, a dream
about a magic book that told the future to the reader.

To know the future would give

incredible power to King Arthu r.
The revelation of John’s dream
immediately instigated a quest,
and Liam didn’t hesitate to
volunteer. Liam had not been a
knight for long, and finding the
magic book was his first mission.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 63

 Level Y-Z Reader

“My name is Annie,” the woman said, again interrupting Liam’s

thoughts. Liam didn’t respond, hoping Annie would understand that
Liam preferred to ride in silence. Instead, she again spoke. “What is
your name?”

“My name is Sir Liam.”

“And what is your quest, Sir Liam? What are you searching for?”

The quest was none of her business, and Liam could feel his
frustration levels rising again. At first, he refused to reply, but she
insisted, and Liam could not bring himself to be impolite. “My quest
is to find a legendary book that exposes the future to whomever
reads it. This book will play a valuable role in the future of the King
and the future of our Kingdom.”

“You are speaking about the Book of

Prophecies.”

Liam jerked to a stop, and

Annie yelped with surprise.

“You have heard about this book?” Liam

asked. “What can yo u tell me about it?”

For the first time since he met her, Annie looked uncomfortable. “I
am not sure if I should say. People say it is dangerous.”

Annie’s scared eyes met Liam’s stubborn ones, and she sighed. It
was clear that he would insist on an answer.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 64

 Level Y-Z Reader

Annie started, “In my village, there is a legend

about a sorceress who long ago created an
enchanted book that would show the future to
whoever opened its bindings and leafed
through its pages. The sorceress showed it to a
knight who she admired, but th e revelations
were too much for him to handle, and he was driven to insanity. The
sorceress was so devastated at what her creation had done that she
concealed it and guarded it with powerful magic. Since then, all
those who have sought the book have failed or met a tragic end.”

Liam nodded for Annie to continue. She took a deep breath. “Our
tale also mentions that when the sorceress cast a spell on the book,
she hid it in a cave on the south edge of the kingdom that was ripe
with defensive magic. The book i s impossible to find unless the
hunter is virtuous and is said to have a bright future.”

Liam took a deep breath. A cave, he thought. The book is in a

guarded cave to the south. There was no guarantee that Liam was
virtuous enough or had a bright enough f uture to break through all
of the enchantments, but he had to try. He had to succeed on this
quest.

“We are going south to find the cave,” Liam said. “I will need you to
help show me the way.”

Annie objected, but Liam didn’t listen to her as he turned the horse
around and started to walk back up the path. Liam ignored Annie’s
protests and pleas for him to forget about the book and the danger
that awaited him.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 65

 Level Y-Z Reader

Finally, following Annie’s reluctant navigation, they reached the

mouth of the cave. As soon as they stopped walking, Annie jumped
down from the horse and grabbed Liam’s forearm.

“Sir Liam, I beg of you. Please leave the book

undisturbed. The dark magic is impenetrable. I
fear you will come to great harm.”

Liam took a deep breath, avoiding the implor ing

stare from the scared woman standing in front of him. He also was
concerned about what might happen after he entered into the
cave; however, the King and his court had placed their trust in him,
and he refused to disappoint them. It was a time for brav ery; he was
a Knight of the Round Table, and he would not abandon his task.

Liam finally looked into the eyes of the peasant woman in front of
him. She had surprised him with her intelligence and good manners;
now she was obviously concerned for his well -being. “Annie, I thank
you for your assistance in guiding me. You have done a service to
your King. I am now going into the cave to find the book; if I do not
return before sunset, take the horse back to the city by yourself and
report what you know to the King’s court.” He turned away from
Annie, pulling his arm from her grasp and walked confidently into
the cave.

Almost immediately, he was consumed by the cave’s darkness. The

damp air felt cold, and Liam shivered underneath his chainmail.
Squeaking, whist ling, and dripping noises from unidentifiable sources
echoed around him. He reached out and ran his hand along the
cave wall; it was cool and wet and smooth.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 66

 Level Y-Z Reader

After an indeterminate time following the pitch -dark

tunnel, Liam saw a glowing light in the dis tance. He
picked up his pace, and the light grew brighter until
it was so bright that Liam had to shield his eyes.
When his eyes adjusted to the sudden change in
light, his breath caught in his throat at the sight that
lay before him: the Book of Prophecie s.

The cave had grown completely quiet. Liam took a

deep breath, stepped forward and gently placed his
hand on the cover of the book. It was warm, almost like it was alive
beneath his fingers. H e opened the book, and a warm gust of air
struck his face and the aroma of incense filled the cave.

The first page showed him and Annie riding the horse up to the
cave. Liam paused, shocked to see his own likeness in front of him.
He slowly turned the page .

The next page showed Liam in the cave, reading the Book of
Prophecies. Liam, hardly breathing, stared at the image of his own
face, lit from the glow of the book . His body filled with tension.

Liam hesitated; the next page would surely show the future. He
thought of Annie. He thought of his fellow knights. Would he ever see
them again?

With a pounding heart, Liam turned the page. The next image
showed him reconvening with Annie outside of the cave. His hands
were empty; he did not have the book with him . He turned the
page.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 67

 Level Y-Z Reader

The next page showed him and Annie traveling on the horse. In the
distance, the walls of the kingdom’s inner city decorated the
background. Only one page was left.

The final image was of the King standing in front of his throne, his
crown glinting on top of his head. Next to him sat a woman adorned
in a magnificent dress and extravagant robes. A polished crown
rested on top of her combed and intricately braided hair. The
woman was Annie.

Liam closed the book, his eyes wide and his m outh frozen in shock.
The woman outside, the one with the twisted ankle, dressed in rags
and with messy hair, was to become the wife of the King.

The knight’s facial expression barely changed until he arrived at the

cave exit and heard Annie’s relieved sh riek. She jumped into his
arms and hugged him tightly.

Liam stepped back, looking at Annie, the future queen. He dropped

to one knee, kissing her hand. “My Lady, please allow me the honor
of escorting you to meet your future husband, King Arthur of Britain.”

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 68

 Level Y-Z Reader

Sir Liam’s Quest (exercises)

1. True or False

__________ This quest is Liam’s fifth quest .

__________ The book is rumored to be located in a cave on the

outskirts of the kingdom .

__________ Sir Liam and Annie travel together to the cave, but
only Liam goes inside .

__________ Sir Liam dreamt about the book, which inspired the
quest.

__________ Sir Liam and Annie married and lived happily ever
after.

__________ The sorceress tried to protect the book with a

special magic.

2. Multiple Choice

What did Liam smell when he opened the book?

a. boiled cabbage
b. insects
c. incense
d. nothing

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 69

 Level Y-Z Reader

Why does Sir Liam leave the book in the cave?

a. The book was glued to the rocks in the cave.

b. The images in the book showed him leaving the cave
empty-handed.
c. He never actually found the book.
d. He just forgot it.

Which of the following did NOT happen during Sir Liam’s

journey in the forest?

a. He was ambushed by enemy knights.

b. He met a woman who was travelling to the kingdom.
c. Annie told Liam where the book was located.
d. Liam and Annie discussed the quest about the magic
book.

3. Short Answer

How does Liam’s attitude toward Annie change during the

story?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Do you think Annie will make a good Queen? Why or why not?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 70

 Level Y-Z Reader

Sir Liam’s Quest (answers)

1. True or False

2. Multiple Choice

c. incense
b. The images in the book showed him leaving the cave
empty handed.
a. He was ambushed by enemy knights.

3. Short Answer

How does Liam’s attitude toward Annie change during the

story?

Answers may vary.

Do you think Annie will make a good Queen? Why or why not?

Answers may vary.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 71

 Level Y-Z Reader

aquarium anticipation contemplating

phobia worrisome apprehension

Friends Over Fears

For as long as Mia could remember, she had been terrified of

snakes. She had skipped the class field trip to the zoo, and on the
day James had brought his pet snake into their seventh -grade math
class, Mia had run into the hallway, tears pooling in her eyes. With
every passing year, Mia’s fear of snakes seemed to be getting
worse. Recently, she had started to avoid
playing in the local park because
sometimes there were small
garden snakes in the grass.

Jess had been Mia’s best friend

since kindergarten. Jess wasn’t afraid of snakes or anything else that
crawled or slithered. In grade 5, she had hung a huge poster of a
boa constrictor on her bedroom wall, but she took it down because
it bothered Mia so much. Jess knew all about Mia’s snake phobia,
and she used to find it funny, but now it had grown worrisome. If
Mia’s irrational fears kept getting worse, how long would it be
before she was afraid to even leave her own house?

One day, Mia went to visit Jess. The new video game, Green Ghosts
Gone Wild, had just been released, and Jess had bought it. Mia was
stoked. Playing a new game, especially one as epic as Green Ghosts
Gone Wild, was a major event.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 72

 Level Y-Z Reader

As Mia stepped into Jess’ room, she froze. “What’s that?” Over Jess’s
shoulder, she could see a massive glass tank. Judging by its size, it
probably wasn’t built for a small creature, and there was no water in
the tank, so it wouldn’t c ontain fish. Logs, leaves, and stones were
scattered along the bottom of the aquarium. Suddenly, a scaly tail
flashed out from beneath some leaves; Mia jumped and let out a
shriek, instantly bounding back into the hallway.

“What’s wrong?” Jess asked, look ing both concerned and a little
guilty. “Does the snake really bother you that much?”

Mia nodded, her eyes darting back and forth between Jess and the
distant glass tank. She felt betrayed. How could Jess bring a snake
into her house, knowing how Mia felt ?

“Tiger is totally contained in the tank, Mia. She can’t escape,” Jess
offered weakly. “Come on – I know how badly you want to play
Green Ghosts Gone Wild . It’s just a few steps around Tiger’s home to
get to my computer.”

“You don’t understand how scary that is for

me,” Mia snapped. She felt a hot tear roll
down her cheek, and, turning her back on
Jess, she stomped out of the house, plopping
herself down on the steps outside of Jess’
front door. When she felt Jess’ hand on her
shoulder, she shrugged it o ff, still angry at her
friend and contemplating going home where
it was safe.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 73

 Level Y-Z Reader

Jess sat down silently beside her friend. A few minutes passed. “I’m
sorry for scaring you, Mia,” Jess said, attempting to console her
friend.

As Mia breathed in the fresh outs ide air, her panic slowly turned into
embarrassment. She gave Jess a weak smile. She wanted to be
playing the game, not fighting with her best friend . She knew the
snake couldn’t escape the tank; maybe if she avoided looking at
the tank, she could control her emotions while in the room. Mia
decided to be brave. “I’m going to try, but don’t let me go
anywhere near Tiger.”

Jess nodded solemnly and the girls re -entered the house.

Mia stayed close to Jess as they cautiously

crept into Jess’s room. Mia purpose ly
stared at the wall opposite the tank as
she found her way to Jess’s monitor.

“See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Jess

grinned.

Mia scowled; she didn’t agree, but she kept quiet. One look at the
slithery reptile was enough to send chills down her spine.

The next day, Mia took her bike over to Jess’ house for another bout
of Green Ghosts Gone Wild ; however, her enthusiasm to play the
game was mixed in with apprehension about being in the same
room as the snake.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 74

 Level Y-Z Reader

The closer she got to Jess’ house, the mor e Mia obsessed about the
snake. She was just getting off her bike when Jess’
front door flew open, followed by a small hand
waving rapidly in her face.

“Hey Mia! Come on in - let’s get started,” Jess shouted excitedly.

Mia scowled slightly as she wearily stepped into Jess’ house. Jess
could be so insensitive. It was as if she had forgotten about Mia’s
fear, or didn’t care at all for her feelings.

Throwing Mia an animated grin, Jess led her friend into the bedroom.
Mia glanced uneasily at Tiger’s cage. It took all of her courage, but
she managed to make it to Jess’s computer in a few quick leaps.

Mia glared at Jess as she caught her breath. “Can we play the
game now? I don’t want to spend any more time thinking about that
oversized worm.”

Jess laughed, and started the game.

The girls played until it was time for Mia to return home. Mia was
exhausted, and she yawned sleepily as she got up. “Goodnight ,
Jess,” she said, before turning her attention for the first time towards
the snake on the other side of the room. Tiger made her way from
one side of the aquarium to the other, occasionally lifting her head
to let her tongue dart out. Mia didn’t enjoy the sight, but she was
mesmerized by how easily she writhed over leaves and around
branches. Finally snapping back to reality, Mia decided she had
been in Tiger’s presence for far too long.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 75

 Level Y-Z Reader

“Goodnight to you too, I guess,” she mumbled, making her way to

the front door and closing it firmly behind her.

The girls played the video game every day after school that week.
Mia was still bothered by the snake, but at least her stomach wasn’t
churning anymore when she thought about it. On Friday, both girls
hurried into the computer room to finish the last segment of the
game.

“That was so cool,” Jess said as the girls watched the end credits roll
off of the screen. “I never expected the Green Ghosts to vaporize
the motorcycle gang!”

“Don’t mess with Green Ghosts, I guess,” replied Mia . The girls
laughed and sipped their lemonade. Mia felt relaxed and happy.

“Close your eyes, I have a surprise for you!” Jess said, jumping up.
Mia closed her eyes, rocking back and forth in anticipation.

“You can open them now.”

When Mia opened her eyes, she wanted nothing more

than to close them again. There before her was Tiger,
squirming around in Jess’ arms. “Look!” Jess smiled
broadly. “She’s very gentle - see how calm she is?”

Mia studied Tiger nervously as she slithe red around

slowly and curiously. She was almost kind of cute, or at least her
face was.

Carefully, Jess inquired, “Would you like to hold her?”

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 76

 Level Y-Z Reader

Mia’s breath caught in her throat. She wasn’t thrilled by the idea of
holding Tiger at all, but Jess’ bright e yes were so enthusiastic that
she couldn’t refuse. Mia watched, petrified, as Jess lowered Tiger
into her arms. Her hands were shaking, but Tiger didn’t seem to
mind. She looked curiously at Mia with bright, beady eyes.

Jess watched Mia carefully and saw how she gradually became less
rigid. She told Mia all about Tiger: what type of snake she was, her
diet, and more. Meanwhile, Tiger investigated what was in Mia’s
pocket, and managed to pull out her bus pass.

“Maybe she wants to take the bus to the zoo a nd find a boyfriend,”
joked Mia as she passed Tiger back to Jess, looking her in the eye.
“To be honest, Jess, I felt betrayed when you bought Tiger because
you know how snakes terrify me,” Mia said, in a soft but slightly
reproachful voice.

Jess carefully replied. “When

you first told me about your fear
of snakes, I did everything I
could to keep them away from
you. Whenever there was an
event at school involving
snakes, or if someone brought in
their pet snake, I would let you know. But when you started t o avoid
the park, I realized that I wasn’t being a good friend by letting your
fears get so out of control. I knew I needed to help you conquer
them. So, I started researching snakes, and I searched for the
smallest, most harmless one that I could bring ho me. When I finally
chose Tiger, the purchase wasn’t for me. It was for you.”

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 77

 Level Y-Z Reader

“Me?” Mia’s eyes darted towards Jess.

“I knew you’d be angry with me at first, but after you spent more
time in Tiger’s vicinity, you started to get more comfortable. Now
look at you two! You’re practically best friends.”

As Jess placed Tiger back in her tank, Mia felt a surge of gratitude.
She had misunderstood Jess, assuming that Jess was being selfish
when she bought the snake, when in reality she had sacrificed her
time and energy to help her. Mia threw her backpack over her
shoulder and wrapped her arms around Jess in a big thank -you hug.
“Well, we’re best friends, but I’m not sure yet about Tiger.”

On her way out, Mia made a detour to say adios to Tiger. When she
approached Tiger’s aquarium, she felt no fear. Another high five
with Jess, and she was out the door, feeling proud of herself and her
friend.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 78

 Level Y-Z Reader

Friends Over Fears (exercises)

1. New Words

Below are sentences from the story. In your own words,

describe what the underlined words mean.

Jess knew all about Mia’s snake phobia, and she used to find it
funny but now it had grown worrisome .

__________________________________________________________________

If Mia’s irrational fears kept getting worse, how long would it be

before she was afraid to even leave her own house?

__________________________________________________________________

“To be honest, Jess, I felt betrayed when you bought Tiger,

because you knew how much snakes terrified me,” Mia said, in
a soft but slightly reproachful voice.

__________________________________________________________________

2. True or False

__________ Snakes are highly dangerous in all circumstances .

__________ Sometimes fears can be real and sometimes they

can be irrational .

__________ If fears are irrational, it is easy to overcome them .

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 79

 Level Y-Z Reader

3. Describe an irrational fear that someone might have, and what

they might do to overcome that fear.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 80

 Level Y-Z Reader

Friends Over Fears (answers)

1. New Words

Jess knew all about Mia’s snake phobia, and she used to find it
funny but now it had grown worrisome.

A phobia is an unfounded fear of something.

If Mia’s irrational fears kept getting worse, how long would it be

before she was afraid to even leave her own house?

Irrational means not logical or unreasonable.

“To be honest, Jess, I felt betrayed when you bought Tiger,

because you knew how much snakes terrified me,” Mia said, in
a soft but slightly reproachful voice.

Betrayed means to have violated someone’s trust.

2. True or False

False Snakes are highly dangerous in all circumstances .

True Sometimes fears can be real and sometimes they

can be irrational .

False If fears are irrational, it is easy to overcome them .

3. Describe an irrational fear that someone might have, and what

they might do to overcome that fear.

Answers will vary.

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 81

More from K5 Learning
Math Workbooks
We carry a comprehensive range of kindergarten to grade 7 math workbooks, organized
by subject matter and grade level. Highly recommended!

Levelled Readers
Our online bookstore carries a full series of levelled readers from the kindergarten to
grade 6 level, available for download and printing.

Grammar, Vocabulary and Spelling Workbooks

We have grammar, vocabulary and spelling workbooks for grades 1-5. We also have
cursive writing workbooks and phonics and sight words flashcards.

Visit the store at store.k5learning.com

Free Worksheets
We have thousands of free reading and math worksheets on our site for kindergarten
through grade 5 students. Just download and print; no registration required.

www.k5learning.com