Reading Comprehension Workbook

Level 5

Serles Designer

Philip J. Solimene

Editor Dorothy M. Bogart

Reading Consultant Sidney J. Rauch, Ed.D.

Professor of Reading and Education Hofstra University, New York

EDCON

Story Authors

Sandra Fenichel Asher Sonya Ferraro

Carolyn Gloeckner Hazel Krantz Dorothy Kroll

Eleanor Bogan Schwartz Richard C. Shebelski

Jane Sutton

Copyright © 2012 Edcon Publishing Group, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, in-cluding photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission o f the pub-lisher, with the following exception:

Student activity pages are intended for reproduction. EDCON Publishing grants to individual purchasers of this book the right to make sufficient copies of reproducible pages for use by all students of a single teacher. This permission is limited to an individual teacher, and does not apply to entire school systems.

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CONTENTS

SOMETHING ABOUT THE STORY

Willy wants a new basketball. But when he finds one, problems come with it.

A group of friends is able to have fun while leading a crowd out of danger.

The hero of this story lived more than one hundred years ago. He traveled across America and had many ex­citing adventures.

Making friends at a strange school isn’t easy for Yukiko until she thinks of a good plan.

Things we have liked for a long time can seem like precious friends. And no one wants to give up a treasured friend.

Billy is sure that his favorite shirt brings him good luck. Then he makes an important discovery.

Three visitors from a distant planet provide new experiences for Eddie.

Steven is proud to belong to a group that has its own ways and customs.

Factories make many things that we enjoy. Sometimes, factories make problems.

Jenny does not agree with her parents about what a “young lady” should do.

Key Words...................................... 51

Comprehension CheckAnswer Key............................. 53

Vocabulary CheckAnswer Key............................. 55

QUESTIONS

4

9

14

19

24

29

34

39

44

49

STORY

1

6

11

16

21

26

31

36

41

46

NO.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

TITLE

The Red, White, and Blue Basketball

The Subway Five

The Grizzly Bear

The Origami Plan

Old Hats and Old Friends

The Shirt Off Billy’s Back

Star-Shaped Spaceship

A Day in the Life of a Gypsy Boy

Venice — A City Choking on Dirty Air

No Place for a Girl

1

The Red, White, And Blue Basketball

Learn the Key Words

boss

ceiling

clumsy

effort

member

purchase

(bos, bos)

(sé' ling)

(klum' zè)

(ef' ә rt)

(mem' bәr)

(pèr' chәs)

a person who tells workers what to doThe boss told the men to work faster.

the inside top of a roomThe light was hanging from the middle of the ceiling.

not moving smoothly; awkward The clumsy student tripped.

the act of trying hardHe made an effort to climb the mountain.

one who belongs to a particular group She is a member o f the Girl Scouts.

buyYou can purchase salt at the supermarket.

E-1

Preview:1. Read the title.2. Look at the picture.3. Read the first paragraph of the story.4. Then answer the following question.

You learned from your preview that____a. Willy’s father was a teacher.____b. Willy had a birthday last week.____c. Willy was thirteen years old.____d. Willy wanted a new basketball.

Turn to the Comprehension Check on page 4 for the right answer.

Now read the story.Read to find out how Willy made a new friend.

E-1

The Red, White, And Blue Basketball

That basketball is exactly the kind that Willy wants to own.

Willy was in a bad mood. As he headed toward First Avenue, he kicked at every stone in sight. Things were different at home since his father had lost his job at the factory. The boss had said that there just wasn’t enough work for everyone. Two months had passed, and Willy’s father was still without a job. With Willy’s eleventh birthday a week away, he knew he wouldn’t get that basketball he wanted. With anger, he kicked at another stone.

Willy arrived at First Avenue, a beautiful street with tall trees

2

and neatly painted houses. Being here always made Willy feel good.

The new automobile parked in front of the Miller house caught his attention. Bending forward to examine its black racing stripe, Willy noticed something on the sidewalk next to the car. It was a new basketball—a red, white, and blue basketball, just like the one he had wanted for his birthday.

Gently, Willy lifted the ball from the sidewalk. ''The Millers have grown children. This can't belong to them ," he told

himself. Willy’s heart pounded as he looked quickly up and down First Avenue and saw no one was around. “ Might as well take this home,’’ he decided.

After supper, Willy rested on his bed and tossed the basketball toward the ceiling. His sixteen- year-old brother, Roy, entered the room. “ Don’t break anything. I t ’s my room t o o , " Roy reminded him.

“ Where did you get that anyway?” asked Roy, admiring the basketball.

Willy told him.' ' Did you make an effort to

E-1locate the ball’s owner?” asked Roy.

“ Let the owner make an effort to locate m e,” replied Willy, still tossing the ball toward the ceiling.

“ You don’t really mean that, Willy,” said Roy. “ You have something that doesn’t belong to you, and that’s like stealing.”

Willy kept his eyes on the spinning colors of the basketball. He didn’t want to look at his brother just then.

“ I never thought of it that w a y ,” Willy said sadly. “ Maybe I could go to the lost and found counter at school to see if someone reported one missing.” Willy glanced at his brother, and let the ball drop onto his bed.

“ Why not leave a note at the lost and found?’ ’ suggested Roy, watching Willy carefully.

Willy grumbled, “ If I do, everyone in school might claim it.”

Roy answered, “ Not if you ask them to describe it and tell you where it was lost.”

Willy knew that his brother was right about making an effort to find the owner, but giving up the basketball would not be easy. He wanted so much to keep it.

“ All r ig h t ,” he agreed finally, ‘i ’ll write the note tomorrow. ’ ’

The next day, Roy called to Willy, “ Someone named Greg Evans wants to talk to you on the telephone about the basketball. ’ ’

‘‘Greg Evans, that rich kid?” snarled Willy. “ His parents could buy him a dozen basketballs. Besides, he’s so clumsy he trips over his own feet. What would he do with a basketball?”

Roy recognized the hurt in Willy’s voice and suggested gendy, “ Maybe it isn’t his ball.”

“ Do you want to bet?” asked Willy, walking slowly to the telephone. “ Hello, Greg,” he said.

“ I saw your note, Willy. Was it a red, white, and blue basketball? I lost mine on First Avenue yesterday,” explained Greg.

Willy couldn’t answer right away. He swallowed hard. “ I guess i t ’s your basketball, Greg.”

“ I’m so glad you’re the one whofound it, Willy,” saidGreg. “ I could never find the courage to speak to you before because I know how good you are at sports. But now that you found my ball. . . . ” Greg paused.

“ Willy,” Greg began again, “ do you think you could come to my house and play basketball with me? I mean, could you help me stop being so clumsy? I ’d like to be a member of the team.”

As much as Willy wanted to be angry at Greg, he couldn’t. After all, Greg was trying to be his friend.

"Basketball is easy when you know how,” answered Willy.

“ Would you come to my house sometime and shoot baskets with me?” asked Greg. “ We have a basketball hoop on our garage.”

“ You do? Sure, I'll come right over,” said Willy, surprised at his own reply. “ And, Greg, I’ll bring your basketball.”

Willy hung up the telephone.Roy, surprised by his

brother’s cheerful mood, asked, “ Isn’t that his ball?”

“ Sure, i t ’s his b a l l , ”

answered Willy, “ but I was wrong about Greg-. He’s a nice kid.”

“ So are you,” added Roy, proudly.

Willy smiled and took the basketball off his bed. “ Roy, I’m going to find a job in the neighborhood after school and purchase my own basketball. I could even help out until Dad’s boss calls him back to work.”

“ I ’m proud to have you as a member of this family,” said Roy, smiling. “ Now I can tell you my surprise. I saved some money from my after school earnings for your birthday. Use it to purchase your basketball a little sooner.”

Grinning, Willy stated, “ Thanks a lot!” and bounced the basketball across the room to Roy.

“ You’re welcome, and you deserve i t , ” replied Roy, slamming the red, white, and blue basketball back at Willy. Willy caught it easily and headed for Greg’s house.

3

E-1

The Red, White, And Blue Basketball

COMPREHENSION CHECK

Choose the best answer.

1. Willy was not getting a basketball for his birthday because___a. he felt sorry for himself.___b. his parents could not afford one.___c. he was selfish.___d. his parents were selfish.

2. Willy liked to walk on First Avenue because __ a. it made him feel good.__ b. he liked to look at cars.__ c. he always found things there.__ d. it was far from home.

3. Willy found the basketball__ a. near Greg’s house.__ b. near his school.__ c. near an automobile.__ d. on Fifth Avenue.

4. Roy told Willy___a. to keep the basketball.___b. to call the Millers.___c. to try to find the owner.___d. to ask for a reward.

5. Willy realized that keeping the basketball was like__ a. cheating.__ b. lying.__ c. being mean.__ d. stealing.

Check your answers with the Key on page 53.

Idea starter: How did Greg feel when he lost his basketball?

This page may be reproduced for classroom use.

4

Preview Answer:d. Willy wanted a new basketball.

6. Greg found out Willy had his basketball because__ a. Willy put up a note at school.__ b. Roy told him.__ c. the Millers told him.__ d. he saw Willy take it.

7. When Greg telephoned, Willy realized that__ a. playing basketball was a waste of time. __ b. he wanted to be Greg's friend.__ c. brown basketballs are better than colored

ones. __ d. he could find another basketball

somewhere.

8. Willy decided to get his own basketball by__ a. going to First Avenue again.__ b. asking Roy for the money.__ c. asking Greg if he had Another one.__ d. getting a job and saving money for one.

9 . Another name for this story could be__ a. “First Avenue.”__ b. “Finders Keepers.”__ c. ‘Whose Ball is This?”__ d. “Family Problems.”

10. This story is mainly about__ a. doing the right thing.__ b. being poor.__ c. finding basketballs.__ d. fighting with your brother.

The Red, White, And Blue BasketballE-1

5

II. Each of the following sentences has two key words next to each other. Underline the key word that belongs in the sentence.

1. The (boss, member) took my father’s job away.

2. Greg was (member, clumsy) at basketball.

3. Roy asked Willy to make the (purchase, effort) to find the basketball’s owner.

4. Willy tossed the basketball toward the (ceiling, clumsy).

5. His parents could not (purchase, boss) the basketball.

6 . Roy was a (member, effort) of W illy’s family.

Check your answers with the key on page 55.

This page may be reproduced for classroom use.

VOCABULARY CHECK

I. Complete each sentence by writing in the correct key word from the box below.

boss ceiling clumsy effort member purchase

1. My bedroom __________________________ has a crack in it.

2. We have a n e w __________________________ in our club.

3. The factory__________________________ often works late.

4. We plan t o __________________________ a new car next month.

5. T h e __________________________ puppy spilled its water bowl.

6 . Swimming a mile was a g re a t__________________________ for her.