Read reflect respond_book_d_sample

6 READ•REFLECT•RESPOND

LESSON 1

1. Describe a situation when jumpingfrom a building into a dumpstermight save your life.

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Emergency jumps are dangerous.There’s only one good time to attemptsuch a jump: when you’ll probably die ifyou don’t. Who knows? Someday youmight need to make a literal leap. So beprepared! Here’s some good advice formaking two kinds of emergency jumps.

JUMPING FROM A BUILDING INTO A DUMPSTER

Landing in a dumpster is usually asafer bet than landing on the sidewalk.

Imagine jumping straight down. If youleap too far away from the building, youcould miss the dumpster. So be careful.As you fall, pull your chin toward yourchest and bring your legs around. Whatyou’re trying to do is land on your back.This is the safest way to make contact.When it hits, your body folds into a Vshape, so landing on your stomach couldbreak your back.

What if the dumpster is filled withbricks? In that case, falling into thedumpster would be as dangerous asjumping into the street. So look before youleap. If the dumpster is filled with clothes,cardboard boxes, or other such material,you’re in luck. It’s possible to survive ajump into a dumpster from five stories.All you need is the right kind of trash.

JUMPING FROM A BRIDGE OR A CLIFF INTO A RIVER

What’s the most dangerous thingabout this kind of jump? You don’t knowhow deep the water is. If you’re jumpinginto a river, try to jump as far away fromthe riverbank as you can. Stay away frombridge towers. Why? Debriscollects there. You could beinjured if you land on it.

Jump feet first. Keepyour body completelyvertical. If your body isn’tstraight, you could breakyour back. Squeeze yourfeet together. Squeezeyour buttocks together,too. If you don’t, the forceof the rushing water maycause severe damage.Hold your hands overyour crotch.

The moment you hitthe water, spread yourarms and legs. Movethem back and forth.This will slow down yourplunge toward the bottom.Jumping this way couldbreak your legs—but itcould also keep you alive.

Leaps that could save your life.

EMERGENCY JUMPS

Think about emergency situations.

2. Describe a situation when jumpinginto a river from a bridge or cliffmight save your life.

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READ•REFLECT•RESPOND 7

Circle a letter or word, fill in the blanks, or write out the answer.

LESSON 1: EMERGENCY JUMPS

Similarities and differences. (More than one answer may be correct.)

9. How might you be injured in either jump described?a. landing on hard or sharp debris

b. getting crushed by air pressure as you fall

c. holding your body in the wrong position

10. What is a significant differencebetween the two jumps?a. In a cliff jump, you try to guess

the length of your fall.

b. You position your bodydifferently in each jump.

c. In both jumps you try to avoidhitting obstacles.

Identify antonyms. (Complete the words from the reading.)

11. reckless / c__ __ __ __ __ __

12. die / s__ __ __ __ __ __

13. shallow / d__ __ __

14. safe / d__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Look it up in a reference source.

15. The building is filling with smoke!Drop to your hands and knees andcrawl to the nearest exit!Why should you crawl rather thanwalk or run?

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Recall details. (More than one answer may be correct.)

1. In a jump from a bridge, why should you spread your arms and legs as you hit the water?a. to slow your plunge through

the water

b. to keep from hitting the river bottom

c. to avoid hitting debris on the bottom

2. If you dive headfirst from a bridge into the water,you riska. breaking your legs.

b. breaking your skull.

c. swallowing water.

3. If you jump into a dumpster,

try to land ( feet / back ) first.

4. If you jump from a bridge,

try to land in the water with

your ( feet / back ) first.

Match words and meanings.

5. ____ debris a. serious,dangerous

6. ____ vertical b. to dive or fall suddenly

7. ____ severe c. pieces of broken ordestroyed things

8. ____ plunge d. straight up anddown; upright


LESSON 2

1. Name three weapons of war besidesland mines and tanks.

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Land mines are explosives buried justbelow the surface of the ground. They’reweapons of war. Some types are designedto blow up vehicles, such as tanks. Othersare designed to blow up soldiers. Just afootstep on the ground can set them off.

Land mines are easy to make and put inplace. After wars, the land mines are leftburied in the ground. Today, tens ofmillions of explosives still lie justunderground—in 80 countries! In theseplaces, land mines maim or kill more than8,000 people every year. And land minesalso make the soil around them unfit for farming.

Recently a Danish company discovereda possible solution to the land-mineproblem. It’s a common weed calledthale-cress. Scientists at thecompany actually altered thegenes of the thale-cress. Thiscaused the plant to develop anew characteristic. When it’splanted near land mines, itturns red. The color is theplant’s reaction to nitrogen-dioxide, a gas given off by the

explosive material inside the land mines.Thale-cress grows a few weeks after its

seeds are scattered over a test area. If itturns red, the ground is dangerous. So theunexploded land mines are removed. If

not, it’s safe to walk there—orgrow crops or build houses.The plant is still beingstudied. After all, it must workconsistently in all soil types.Someday, however, the lethaldanger buried beneath thesoil may be wiped out by acommon little weed.

Can a common weed come to the rescue?

PLANTS THAT DETECT LAND MINES

Think about weapons and safety.

2. Think of a life-saving invention youwish someone would create.

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THE GREEN CRESSTURNS RED WHEN ITDETECTS EXPLOSIVES.



LESSON 2: PLANTS THAT DETECT LAND MINES

Recall details.

1. What two purposes do land mines have?a. They lure people into

certain areas.

b. They destroy vehicles such as tanks.

c. They kill soldiers who step on them.

2. What happens when thale-cressgrows near a land mine?a. It dies.

b. It keeps the mine from blowing up.

c. It turns red.

3. What gas that affects thale-cress is given off by land mines?a. carbon dioxide

b. nitrogen dioxide

c. oxygen

4. How did scientists enable thale-cress to react to land mines?a. They altered its genes.

b. They turned it red.

c. They planted it near mines.

Identify the main idea.

5. The reading is abouta. a weed that could be used

to detect land mines.

b. an old-fashioned method used to detect land mines.

c. how land mines can be found all over the world.

Build your vocabulary.

characteristic altered lethal

scattered defeat maim

6. Something that is __________________

has been changed.

7. To ___________________ something is

to injure or cripple it.

8. ___________________ seeds are

thrown about in various places.

9. A ___________________ is a feature

that helps identify a person or thing.

10. If you ___________________ enemies,

you win a victory over them.

11. A ___________________ attack would

result in the victim’s death.

Draw a conclusion. (More than one answer is correct.)

12. Why do land mines often do greaterdamage to children than adults?a. Children’s bodies are smaller.

b. Curious children pick up land mines.

c. Children are less aware of the dangers.

Look it up in a reference source.13. In 1997, many countries signed

a treaty banning land mines.Many nations agreed to stop making and using them. In all,how many nations signed the treaty? _______________


LESSON 3

1. If you owned a baseball team, would you want someone like Ty Cobb to be on it?Why or why not?

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Ty Cobb, born in 1886, is famous forhis marvelous baseball records. Hisrecord of 2,245 runs scored stood until2001. His record of 892 stolen baseswasn’t broken until 1979. His lifetimebatting average was a remarkable .366.Cobb, also known as the GeorgiaPeach, was one of the greatestbaseball players of all time. He wasalso a cruel and violent man.

No one knows whenCobb’s troubles started.But they got worsewhen he was 18. Thatyear, his father was shotto death by Cobb’s mother,under suspicious circumstances.The week of his father’s death, young Tyjoined the major leagues, playing for theDetroit Tigers.

It was common for baseball teams tohaze rookies, but Cobb was hazed withoutmercy. His fellow players shoved him asidein the batting cage. If he tried to talk tothem, they ignored him. They broke hisbats and wound his clothes in knots. Oneplayer even broke Cobb’s nose.

As Cobb got better and better at hisgame, he also earned a reputation for

nastiness. He was famous for rammingsecond basemen with his spikes. He evensharpened them to make the impact morepainful. Easily angered, he got intofistfights with his teammates, umpires,and opposing players.

Off the field, Cobb beat hiswives and children. He was a violent racist. Once he

beat an African-Americanman—and his wife—for

merely touching him.Talk about mean! He

even stomped andkicked a paraplegic fan.

Cobb could also begenerous, however. He was

a smart businessman who made a fortunefrom baseball. He gave away millions tocharity. And he enjoyed teaching youngplayers.

But Cobb’s meanness finally droveeveryone away. He married several times,but one after another his wives left him.Even his children kept their distance.Eventually, all of his friends walked away.Tyrus Cobb died in 1961. Only threepeople who knew him well took the timeto come to his funeral.

Meet an awful man with an awesome talent.

TY COBB

Think about troubled people.



LESSON 3: TY COBB

8. Why did so few people attend Cobb’sfuneral?

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Recall details.

9. Describe a low point in Cobb’s life.

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10. Describe a high point in Cobb’s life.

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11. Name two good things Ty Cobb did.

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12. Name two awful things Ty Cobb did.

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13. Who broke Cobb’s record forstealing bases?

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14. Who broke Cobb’s record for runs scored?

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2. Suppose a man had a terrible time in his teen years. Should he be forgiven forbeing mean as an adult?

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Build your vocabulary.

paraplegic suspicious hazing

circumstances rookie impact

1. __________________ means giving a

newcomer a rough time.

2. An athlete who’s just begun to play a

professional sport is a

__________________.

3. The effect of one object striking

another is called an _________________.

4. If your legs are paralyzed, you’re

a __________________.

5. __________________ are the conditions

at a certain time or place.

6. To be __________________ is to think

there is guilt but have no proof.

Draw conclusions.

7. If Ty Cobb were a baseball playertoday, he (More than one answer may be correct.)

a. probably wouldn’t be hazed so cruelly.

b. would be likely to receivecounseling.

c. couldn’t get away with spiking players.


LESSON 4

1. Think of an object that’s about 10 times as thick as a human hair. What is it? ___________________________________

2. A nanometer is 80,000 times thinner than a strand of human hair. Can you name an object that’s about 80,000 times thickerthan a strand of hair? Take a guess. ___________________________________

What is nanotechnology? The prefix “nano”comes from the Greek word nanos, meaning“dwarf.” Technology is the use of sciencefor practical purposes. Nanotechnology isthe science of developing extremely smalldevices and materials.

How small? In nanotechnology, things aremeasured in nanometers. A nanometer isone billionth of a meter. To give you abetter idea of just how tiny that is, astrand of hair is 80,000 nanometers thick.

Why are people interested in workingwith things this tiny? This field of studyhas great potential. When manipulatedatom by atom, materials change. Carbon,for example, becomes surprisingly strong.Experts believe that nanotechnology canmake almost anything smaller, stronger,and more powerful.

Nano-materials are in use today. Nano-sized clay particles are already used tostrengthen car bodies. Other nano-materialsare used in tennis balls, wrinkle-resistantclothing, and sunscreen.

Possible applications of nanotechnologyare endless. Here are just two ideas: nano-robots might patrol your bloodstream andattack viruses. And nano-robots could beused to clean up oil slicks and toxic spills.

Today, those are only ideas. In the futurethey could become reality.

Meanwhile, nano-materials must bestudied very carefully. There have beenserious concerns about their safety. Somenano-materials have a toxic effect onliving things. Many people are concernedabout the effect of these nano-materialson the environment.

Nanotechnology can make our futureworld better—or worse. It’s up to us.

Bigger doesn’t always mean better.

NANOTECHNOLOGY

Think about large and small objects.

TIMES SMALLERTHAN A METER

1 meter —

100 millimeters 10

10 millimeters 100

1 millimeter 1,000

100 micrometers 10,000

10 micrometers 100,000

1 micrometer 1 million

100 nanometers 10 million

10 nanometers 100 million

1 nanometer 1 billion

COMPARISON CHART: METER TO NANOMETER

BASEBALL BAT

HUMMINGBIRD

HEAD OF A NAIL

RED BLOOD CELLS

WAVELENGTHVISIBLE LIGHT

VIRUS

DNA MOLECULE


LESSON 5

1. Imagine that education for girls was suddenly forbidden in the United States.Write two sentences describing what you think would happen.

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As a child in Afghanistan, SakenaYacoobi dreamed of becoming a doctor.She wanted to help women in her countrylead better lives. But she probably neverimagined she’d risk her ownlife to help them learn to read.

In the late 1990s, theTaliban took over Afghanistan.Their laws were harsh. Theyoutlawed music and television.Men could be jailed forshaving their beards. Womenwere not allowed to work, andgirls could not go to school.

When the Taliban rose topower, Yacoobi was living inthe United States. She hadgraduated from college andwas working here. Yacoobi could haveremained in the United States and lived acomfortable life. But instead, she returnedto Afghanistan. There, along with twoother women, she set up and managed 80secret schools for girls.

The schools were in basements orrooms with blacked-out windows. Girlswere told not to come to school in groups,but to arrive one by one.

Once, the secret schools were nearly

discovered. After a British woman hadvisited one of the schools, word leakedout. The Taliban authorities prepared toraid the school.

Luckily, someone told theteachers that the Taliban werecoming. “They scattered thechildren,” Yacoobi remembers.“They put away the books andcovered up the blackboards.When the authorities arrived,the teachers said, ‘What? Wehave no school here.’ We camethis close to being caught,”Yacoobi says, bringing herthumb and forefinger veryclose together.

After September 11, 2001,the United States and its allies drove theTaliban from power. Now Afghanistan’snew government is running schools for all children. Yacoobi continues to help women and children in her countryand in Pakistan. She is also one of theleaders of the Global Fund for Women located in San Francisco, California. Thisorganization provides money for womento set up businesses, health clinics, andschools.

She risked her life to help girls learn.

SAKENA YACOOBI

Think about education.



LESSON 5: SAKENA YACOOBI

Draw conclusions. (More than one answer may be correct.)

9. Girls were told not to arrive at school at the same time. Why?

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10. The reading suggests that SakenaYacoobia. knows the problems women

face in many countries.

b. has traveled to many differentcountries.

c. is an expert on sports around the world.

Put events in order.

11. Number the events to show the order in which they happened.

____ Yacoobi sets up secret schools.

____ Yacoobi returns to Afghanistan.

____ The Taliban is driven from power.

____ One of Yacoobi’s schools is nearly raided.

____ Yacoobi is educated in the United States.


12. Why did the United States and its allies attack the Taliban?

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Match synonyms.

1. ____ harsh a. forbid

2. ____ allies b. operated

3. ____ managed c. partners

4. ____ authorities d. strict

5. ____ outlaw e. officials

Recognize gestures.You make a gesture when you hold yourthumb and forefinger close together. A gesture is a meaningful body signal that takes the place of speech.

6. Which of the following are gestures?a. a circle with a line through it

b. holding your thumb up

c. putting a finger to your lips

Interpret figurative language. Some expressions have different meaningsthan the literal meaning of the words.

What do the following figurative phrase and sentence mean?

7. “Word leaked out” meansa. the news spread.

b. the words dripped out.

8. “They scattered the children”means theya. told them never to

come back.

b. sent them off in differentdirections.

2. What do you think are the most important things that schools teach?

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LESSON 6

1. Circle the words or phrasesassociated with ancient Rome.

mud huts gladiators

the Coliseum knights in armor

chariots ice skating

Days began early in ancient Rome.Before dawn, the streets were busy aslaborers and small shop owners hurried to work. Many of them carried oil lampsto light their way.

In houses and apartments, slaves wentaround to bedrooms to wake up theirmasters. People got up and washed theirfaces and hands in bowls of water. Thenthey dressed in tunics and leather sandals.Men wore togas over their tunics.

Before leaving home,people prayed in front of their family shrine.The shrine was a specialplace of honor for imagesof the gods who lookedafter the family.

If the family waswealthy enough, theboys went to school.Their teachers were paid by their parents.Students learned reading,writing, and arithmetic.Lessons were written on

long rolls of paper called scrolls. Anabacus was used for teaching arithmetic.Older boys studied public speaking, Latingrammar, math, and Greek.

Girls were taught reading, writing, andmusic at home. There they also learnedhow to run a house.

In the afternoon, men and boys oftenwent to the public baths. (Women went inthe morning.) Hardly anyone had a bathat home. Besides keeping clean, theancient Romans enjoyed going to thebaths to visit friends. Men could alsoexercise in the sports area.

The evening meal was served about sixo’clock. Soon after dinner, it was bedtime.Few Romans could afford to keep their oillamps burning into the night. So, as soonas darkness fell, the day was over.

A look at daily life some 2,000 years ago.

A DAY IN ANCIENT ROME

Think about ancient Rome.

2. Would you have enjoyed living inancient Rome? Why or why not?

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