L’histoire du ski, Francais ,compréhension

En Norvégien, le mot ski signifiait bûche car ils étaient taillés dans le bois à coup de hache. Confrontés à un enneigement quasi permanent, les hommes préhistoriques inventèrent le ski. En quête de nourriture, ils avaient besoin de se déplacer sur la neige. On a découvert dans un marécage suédois un fragment de bois de pin ressemblant à un ski actuel et qui serait vieux de 4000 ans. Les skis de cette époque étaient constitués de 2 planches de bois d’environ 15 cm de large pour 2 m de long, assorties d’un bâton unique, une forme de pelle allongée, pour se propulser à la manière des gondoliers. Ce bâton servait aussi probablement de lance. Les skieurs utilisaient leur matériel pour parcourir de longues distances sur la neige.

Des skis longs et effilés, proches des skis de fond actuels, étaient réservés aux longs parcours. D’autres, plus courts et plus larges, avec une pointe recourbée et parfois une semelle de fourrure, permettaient d’approcher silencieusement le gibier. Percés de 4 trous, les skis se fixaient probablement aux pieds par des lanières. Le talon libre de bouger permettait de marcher tout en glissant.

Vers le X° siècle, la pratique se diffuse largement en Norvège et en Suède.

Les Scandinaves et les Russes ont continué à se servir des skis pour : la chasse et la quête de nourriture, la guerre dès le XV° siècle et le transport du courrier au XIX° siècle.

En 1866, les habitants du petit village suédois de Télémark organisent une grande compétition de ski qu’ils dominent grâce à leur technique du virage, le fameux Télémark. La descente se fait alors avec le talon libre, ce qui permet d'exécuter des virages harmonieux dits « virages télémark ».

En 1888, le ski est révélé au monde par l’explorateur Suédois Nansen qui réussit la première traversée du Groenland d’Est en Ouest.

En 1896, le premier club de ski français est fondé, c’est le Ski Club Alpin.

Les militaires sont d’abord réticents vis à vis du ski, ils préfèrent les raquettes. Mais le phénomène gagne aussi l’armée et en 1903 le ministre de la guerre crée à Briançon la première école militaire de ski. Plus de 5000 skieurs militaires y seront formés jusqu’en 1914, par des instructeurs souvent originaires de Norvège. Le régiment contribuera aussi à répandre la pratique du ski parmi les populations montagnardes, en cédant gratuitement des paires de skis aux villageois des hautes vallées.

Dès 1907, Abel Rossignol, un artisan menuisier, crée un atelier de fabrication. Il utilise le frêne, le pin et le mélèze, très répandus dans les Alpes. Le ski devient alors la principale attraction des sports d’hiver.

Les premiers jeux olympiques d’hiver ont lieu à Chamonix en 1924.

En 1964, il faut noter l’invention du snowboard, adaptation du surf sur eau.

Entre 1950 et 1970, le ski explose et les stations poussent comme des champignons, parfois même au cœur de la haute montagne. C’est en 1973 que seront installés à Flaine, les premiers canons à neige.

Questionnaire

Date du plus vieux ski découvert ?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Combien de bâtons utilisait-on à l’époque de la préhistoire ?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

A quoi servaient les 4 trous percés dans les skis primitifs ?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pourquoi on utilisait une semelle de fourrure ?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

A quoi servaient les skis vers le Xème siècle ?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Quel village suédois a donné son nom à une technique de virage ?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Quand a été crée la première école militaire de ski en France ?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Citer le nom d’un fabricant de ski au début du XX ème siècle

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Quand et où ont eu lieu les premiers Jeux Olympiques d’hiver ?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

De quand date l’invention du snowboard ?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Cueillette de champignons, Francais, Analyse de texte,compréhension

Placide, Fifi, l'Étincelle et Gitou sont 4 élèves du cours moyen ; les trois premiers sont surnommés « les gangsters », car on ne compte plus leurs bêtises...

 Quoi de plus capricieux qu'un champignon comestible ? Les champignons vénéneux n'y vont pas par quatre chemins : ils naissent bien en vue, et bleus, rouges, jaunes, se font une tapageuse et souriante réclame d'enseignes lumineuses, quitte à verdir de rage sous le coup de bâton qui les fait voler en éclats. Mais les champignons comestibles, rares et modestes, se cachent sous les fougères, s'aplatissent dans les ajoncs, recherchent l'ombre du sous­bois, semblent pressentir la poêle et la conserve... C'est pourquoi personne ne crut à l'excellence des deux beaux cèpes qui, certain matin, naquirent au beau milieu des prés, non loin du sentier. C'étaient deux cèpes couleur d'écorce de châtaigne, au chapeau bien rond, au ventre de velours gris, campés sur des pieds renflés comme des poires et qui se tenaient collés à la manière des soeurs siamoises. Ils étaient fermes, et si frais, si odorants, que toutes les limaces s'étaient mises à converger vers eux en rampant ; mais nulle bouche visqueuse n'avait encore découpé la moindre rondelle dans leur peau toute neuve.

Celui qui tout d'abord les vit, fut M. le curé ; son premier mouvement fut d'aller les cueillir ; son second fut de rester. Il pensa

- Non, ce n'est pas possible ! Ils sont mauvais. Les champignons comestibles ne s'offrent pas ainsi à la main du pécheur. Bonne graine est rare ici-bas, et mauvaise graine tôt venue.

Le second passant fut une vieille miséreuse appelée Margaretoune. Elle les vit et grogna

- Non, ce sont des champignons du diable qui veulent m'attraper. Je n'ai jamais eu de chance, moi, et ce serait bien la première fois ! Le troisième fut M. Sabahu, qui allait pêcher. Il se dit - Ce sont des bolets Satan ; cette saleté-là pousse partout. Le directeur des services agricoles m'assurait encore, il y a huit jours, que les cèpes ne naissent jamais dans les prés.

Le quatrième passant fut une demoiselle de village endimanchée qui allait à une noce. Elle vit bien que c'étaient de beaux et bons champignons, mais elle ne voulut pas salir ses petits souliers et ses jolis bas de soie artificielle dans l'herbe humide de rosée naturelle. Le cinquième fut le père Chalumeau, un vieil avare toujours en procès avec Pierre et Paul. Il les reconnut, eut envie de les cueillir. Mais apercevant son ennemi le meunier à la fenêtre du moulin, à deux cents mètres de là, il n'osa pas entrer dans un pré lui appartenant, pour cueillir son bien à sa barbe. Il projeta donc de les prendre en repassant.

Le sixième fut Mâcle, l'homme le plus riche du pays, grand fabricateur de salaisons ; mais il était fort myope, s'étant usé les yeux à compter ses jambons suspendus aux solives, crainte qu'on ne lui en vole, et il crut qu'il s'agissait d'une montagnette de terre brune, fraîchement poussée sur le pré par le nez d'une taupe. Le septième fut un autre myope, un vieux berger qui s'était perdu la vue à force de surveiller son troupeau de trop près ; en voyant ces taches brunes sur l'herbe, il pensa :

- Tiens : le meunier a donc déjà mis ses bêtes au pacage ?

Et les huitième, neuvième, dixième et onzième furent nos gangsters. Ils allaient à la chasse aux taupes, M. Sabahu leur en ayant demandé une pour sa prochaine leçon de choses. En apercevant, de loin, les champignons le premier, Placide pensa : - Ils ne valent rien. Je vais attraper l'Fifi. Il lui dit donc :

- Fifi, va vite cueillir ces gros champignons. Fifi, méfiant, lui répondit :

- Et toi, pourquoi n'y vas-tu pas ?

- Nous en avons tellement mangé, dit Placide, que ma mère ne peut plus les voir en peinture.

- Chez nous, répondit l'Fifi, nous n'aimons que les champignons de Paris. Vas-y, l'Étincelle.

- Non, dit l'Étincelle, qui se tenait en garde aussi, qu'est-ce que nous en ferions ? Chez nous, on mange en ce moment un pot de confit qui allait se gâter, et les morceaux sont si gros qu'on ne peut pas mettre de légumes dans la poêle. Vas-y, Gitou, ta mère sera bien contente.

En effet, pensa le naïf Gitou, dont la malice avait parfois d'étranges assoupissements, en effet, ma mère sera bien contente ! Et il y alla. Les autres, pouffant de rire dans son dos, se donnant de grands coups de coude dans les côtes et se tortillant de joie, menèrent une pantomine silencieuse jusqu'au moment où il les eut cueillis. Alors, ils éclatèrent en dérision !­

- Gitou ! Gitou ! Niguedouille ! Jean le Sot ! Te voilà bien attrapé ! Ce sont des champignons du diable ! Non point : c'étaient de magnifiques cèpes. Gitou le reconnut, comprit quel piège on avait cru lui tendre, et, les ayant mis dans son tablier retroussé en besace, fila de toute la force de ses jambes. Il filait ainsi parce qu'en d'analogues circonstances, il lui était advenu d'être dépouillé de sa trouvaille, ou tout au moins réduit à la partager.

Les trois gangsters restaient muets, cloués sur place de surprise. Quand Gitou eut pris assez d'avance, il cria : - Ils sont bons ! Ils sont bons !

Alors les gangsters se mirent à sa poursuite. Trop tard ! Il rentra dans sa maison comme un rat dans son trou.

Les cèpes pesaient trois livres. Le soir même, la famille Mesnier pensa se régaler d'une omelette immense et délicieuse. Malheureusement, le père de Gitou, en la retournant lui-même dans la poêle de peur que sa femme ne la répande sur le plancher, la colla bravement au plafond.

Questionnaire

Pourquoi personne ne croit à l'excellence des deux beaux champignons ?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Qui vit le premier les champignons ?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pourquoi « Margaretoune » ne cueille pas les champignons ?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pourquoi M. Sabahu ne ramasse pas les cèpes ?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pourquoi « Mâcle » confond  les champignons avec des mottes de terre?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pourquoi aucun « gangster » ne veut aller cueillir les champignons ?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pourquoi veulent-ils envoyer Gitou ?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pourquoi la famille Mesnier ne peut pas se régaler d'une omelette immense ?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

voir aussi :
Sara et monsieur Hiver ,Francais, Analyse de texte

Sara et monsieur Hiver ,Francais, Analyse de texte

 Ca y est : le bonhomme hiver est arrivé.

Il s’installe tout là-haut dans le ciel et regarde en bas, c’est un beau jour pour lui : Les arbres ont perdu leurs feuilles, le vent souffle fort, la pluie mouille tout, monsieur soleil est tout pâle et va bientôt se coucher.

Content, monsieur l’HIVER se roule dans un gros nuage et se prépare à dormir, dormir…C’est un gros paresseux et tous les ans, c’est la même chose, il dort jusqu’à ce que mademoiselle printemps vienne lui chatouiller les pieds.

Sara a mis son manteau, ses bottes, son écharpe, son bonnet : 

« Je vais dans le jardin. 

- Non, non, ma chérie, tu ne sors pas, il fait bien trop mauvais. »

Maman enlève le manteau de Sara.

« Tu ne veux pas faire un dessin ? Ou jouer avec la poupée que le Père Noël t’a apportée ?… dit maman doucement.

- Non, je veux aller dehors. Je veux courir, jouer et crier …

- Ce n’est pas possible, Sara, il pleut, il y a de la boue partout. Regarde, il fait presque noir.

- Pourquoi ?

- Parce que c’est l’hiver. »

C’est vrai, dehors, on ne voit plus les couleurs, juste l’ombre du toboggan. Dans la rue, les lampadaires s’allument un à un. A la maison aussi, maman fait de la lumière. 

Au moment de se coucher, Sara se relève et pousse le rideau de la fenêtre: la vitre est toute froide avec de la buée. Sara fait un bonhomme avec son doigt. 

« Monsieur l’hiver, s’il te plait, je voudrais aller jouer dans le jardin… » 

Puis très vite, elle retourne dans le lit bien chaud et s’endort.

Le bonhomme hiver regarde le dessin de Sara sur la vitre froide. Il est triste : quand il arrive, tout le monde s’en va. Les grandes personnes râlent et les enfants doivent rester dans les maisons. Pourtant, il adore les enfants lui aussi !

Soudain, il a une idée : Il donne un grand coup de point dans le nuage qui lui sert d’oreiller. Toutes les plumes blanches volent, volent et tombent sur la terre dans le jardin de Sara : c’est la neige ! 

Mais ça ne suffit pas, alors il craque un autre nuage, et un autre et un autre jusqu’au dernier, jusqu’à ce que toute la ville soit recouverte d’un beau manteau blanc. Quand monsieur soleil se lève le lendemain matin, il est très étonné : il n’y a plus de nuages mais un beau ciel bleu. Tout heureux, Il se met à briller de toutes ses forces sur la neige qui scintille comme des étoiles.

Pendant ce temps-là, maman entre dans la chambre de Sara et tire les rideaux :

« Regarde, Sara, quelle belle lumière ! Viens vite, ma chérie, viens voir.

Sara s’approche, à moitié endormie :

« C’est tout blanc ! dit –elle, les yeux ébahis.

- C’est la neige ! Dépêche-toi de t’habiller, tu vas enfin pouvoir sortir !

- Chouette !»

Tous les enfants sont dehors et jouent : Ils font des batailles de boules de neige et des bonshommes, ils glissent sur les luges dans les allées en pentes…Quelle fête ! Le bonhomme hiver, lui, est ravi. Il s’est glissé dans un petit flocon qui flotte jusque dans le jardin de Sara, jusque sur la main de la petite fille. Elle le regarde un instant puis se met à danser, heureuse, dans la belle neige blanche.

Sabine D'Halluin

Questionnaire

1. Quels sont les éléments de la nature qui montrent que Monsieur Hiver est bien arrivé ?

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

2. Pourquoi Sarah ne peut pas aller dans le jardin ?

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

3. Qu’est ce que le Père Noël a apporté à Sarah ?

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

4. Qu’est ce que Sarah demande à monsieur  Hiver ?

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

5. Sur quoi Sarah écrit son message à monsieur Hiver ?

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

6. Pourquoi monsieur Hiver est triste ?

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

7. Comment monsieur Hiver crée la neige ?

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

8. Qui se retrouve très étonné le lendemain matin ?

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

9. Quels sont les jeux organisés par les enfants ?

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

10. A l’intérieur de quoi s’est glissé monsieur Hiver pour visiter le jardin de Sarah ?

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 

voir aussi :
Cueillette de champignons, Francais, Analyse de texte,compréhension

HOW TO SKATEBOARD,Comprehension Worksheet

 Skateboarding is exhilarating - you can move quickly and fly through the air! Before you can do amazing tricks in the air, though, you need to learn the basics of skateboarding, and be prepared for a lot of trial and error.

The first thing you need to do is get a skateboard. It’s probably best to talk with a skateboarder to find a store that sells good quality skateboards, not just toys. Many skateboarders create their own “setup,” but for your first board, someone at a skate shop should be able to help you. A helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, and wrist guards are important to get, as well. It is better to wear all of those than to hurt yourself! Once you are ready to learn tricks, you might also need to buy some skate shoes.

Then you’ll need to find a place to skateboard. An empty parking lot (with a safe adult around) or your driveway are good places to start. Skate parks are popping up in many towns now, so try to find one near you! Wherever you go, though, make sure it’s a place where skateboarding is allowed.

There are some basic movements you’ll need to learn in order to

skateboard. The first movement is to find your stance. Most skateboarders put their left foot towards the front of the board and use their right foot to push themselves. If you’re left-handed, you might want to try standing in a “goofy” stance, with your right foot towards the front of the board and using your left foot to push. Make sure your foot isn’t all the way at the front of the board, or it will tip forward.

Next, you’ll want to practice how to push off the ground and glide along on the board. Make sure most of your weight is over your front foot so that you can balance as your back foot pushes. Push off of your back foot and balance as the board moves. Balancing on the board as it’s moving might take some time to get used to, so make sure you’re comfortable balancing before you move on! 

 Once you get used to balancing with your weight over your front foot, you can practice shifting your weight while you’re on the moving skateboard. 

After you push off, practice putting your back foot on the board and shifting your weight so that you have equal weight in each foot. Then practice shifting your weight back over your front foot so that you can push with your back foot again.

Braking is another important movement. You use your back foot to brake, just like you use it to push. Let the bottom of your back foot drag along the ground to slowly bring you to a stop. Make sure you are moving slowly at first so that you get better at judging how much force you need to put on your back foot to brake.

Last, practice how to get off the board. Once your board is stopped, with your back foot on the ground, transfer your weight to your back foot and take your front foot off the board. Ta-da! You took your first ride on a skateboard! Keep practicing all of these basic movements slowly, until you’re very comfortable doing them. Then, try them at a faster speed. Once you’re confident in these basic moves, then you can start to learn cool tricks! Make sure that you’re always wearing your protective gear, and that there is an adult nearby in case you fall. Happy skateboarding!

Answer each question:

1. What are the basic movements for skateboarding?

2. Name another sport that is similar to skateboarding. How are they similar? 

 3. What does “exhilarating” mean in the 1st paragraph? How do you know?

4. Look at the 1st paragraph. Why do you think it says “be prepared for a lot of trial and error”?

5. Do you think skateboarding would be an activity you’d like to try? Why or why not?

ROCKS ,Comprehension Worksheet

Are all rocks the same? No way! Rocks can be different shapes, sizes, textures, and colors. There are 3 different types of rocks that can affect what a rock looks and feels like. The three types of rocks

are sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic.

Sedimentary rocks are a mixture of dirt, rocks, mud, shells, and other materials that are on the bottoms of oceans and other bodies of water, and get compacted together over many years. Sometimes you can even see different layers in sedimentary rocks. These types of rocks feel grainy, like sand, and are easier to crumble than other types of rocks. Sometimes sedimentary rocks will have plant or animal imprints!

The second type of rock is the igneous rock. These rocks are created from magma that cools and hardens. Many rocks start out as igneous rocks.

Igneous rocks have glass crystals filled with minerals in them. They do not usually have layers, and are very smooth.

The third type of rock is the metamorphic rock. These rocks are formed when the other types of rocks are subjected to intense heat and pressure to change them. Metamorphic rocks are hard and smooth, like igneous rocks.

Just like plants and animals have a life cycle, rocks can go through a rock cycle! Many rocks start from magma or lava, so they are igneous rocks.

The igneous rocks could get broken up in a river or stream and settle to the bottom of a lake. Over thousands or millions of years, the broken up rocks could get compacted into a sedimentary rock. The sedimentary rock could get exposed to intense heat, and change to a metamorphic rock. Then the metamorphic rock could get covered by many other rocks and end up deep in Earth’s crust. It may melt and turn into magma, and the cycle could start over again. The rock cycle is different than a life cycle of a plant or animal, though, because a rock doesn’t have to go through the cycle in order, and it may not go through all the stages. 

Even though there are only three different types of rocks based on  how they’re formed, each type actually has many different subcategories of rock. For example obsidian, granite, and basalt are three types of igneous rocks. This is why there are so many different colored rocks. Many people love to collect rocks because of how different each one can be.

Answer each question:

1. What are sedimentary rocks? Highlight the sentence that has the

answer.

2. What are the three types of rocks?

3. How are life cycles and the rock cycle different?

4. Do you think all sedimentary rocks look the same? Why or why not? Support your answer with evidence from the passage.

5. What else do you wonder about rocks after reading the passage?

ORANGES EVERYWHERE , Comprehension Worksheet

 Bentley was wandering through the trees.

The air smelled of oranges all around him.

The weather was perfect, and the oranges were growing bigger by the day. He liked to walk through the groves, and loved the smell

of the oranges, but he didn’t like that he and his family ate oranges all the time.

Sometimes, he wanted to avoid them for weeks at a time.

He wished his family could grow other things, like corn, or the ingredients for his favorite dip that his mom made. His mouth watered just thinking about his favorite dip. Yes, those ingredients would be better than oranges all the time.

“Mom, why do we have to have oranges almost every day?” Bentley asked.

“Well, since we grow them, there are plenty around,” his mom replied.

“Does every kid eat as many oranges as we do?” he asked.

“No, definitely not. There are parts of the country and parts of the world that don’t have the type of weather that oranges grow in. We’re actually very lucky!”

“So some kids don’t eat oranges at all?”

“We actually send oranges all over, so that if people can’t grow their own oranges, they can still buy and eat them,” said Mom.

“Hmmm… so people move foods all over the world? Are there foods that  I like that don’t grow here?” “There is an ingredient in the dip you like. Artichokes do not grow well here, so they have to be sent from somewhere that they do grow well,” replied Mom.

“I never knew!” exclaimed Bentley. “What else moves around like food?”“Plenty of things! The factories that make your favorite toys are not all in our little town here. The companies make the toys then send the toys to other places. So food and products move from where they can be grown or made easily to places where they can’t be grown or made easily. People move themselves, too. Maybe they’re looking for a specific job that isn’t around where they live, or they want to be closer to their families, or they just want a change of scenery.”

“Wow! I never thought about where all of our food and toys come from, or

about people moving far away. It’s very interesting,” Bentley said.

“It sure is. I’m glad you asked. I’m sorry you get tired of eating oranges allthe time, but I hope now it makes sense why we do.”

“Yes, but I still might take a break from them every once in a while. Maybe

I’ll try to grow my own artichokes!” Bentley replied.

Mom laughed and said, “Sure, honey. Now let’s go make dinner.”

Answer each question:

1. Retell the story in your own words.

2. Describe Bentley’s character. What evidence from the text helps you describe her?

3. What does avoid mean in the first paragraph? How do you  now?

4. Why do foods get sent different places around the country and the world?

5. Do you think Bentley will be able to grow his own artichokes? Why or why not? 

see also :

OPEN FOR BUSINESS , Comprehension Worksheet

OPEN FOR BUSINESS , Comprehension Worksheet

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Zion really wanted to open his own business. He loved watching shows on TV about people who invented great things and helped other people love their inventions, too. He tried to learn about how people started their own businesses and how they got their great ideas, but a lot of it was too hard for him to understand yet.

 His mom suggested that he look around the community for a business leader who might be able to help him understand, so that he could start his own business one day.

One day, he and his mom were out getting ice cream, and the shop owner, Mr. Warner, was the one serving them. Zion’s mom asked if he had a few minutes to talk, and Mr. Warner sat down with them.

“Mr. Warner, Zion really wants to open his own business one day. Do you think you could help him understand how to run a

business?” Zion’s mom asked. 

“I can try,” replied Mr. Warner, “but a lot of it is hard to understand. There is a lot of math, and plenty of things you just have to learn through trial and error.”

“A lot of math?” asked Zion. “Why do you need to know math to run a business?”

“Where do I even start? Well, when you own a business, you need to think about money flow. You have to know how much it costs to make or buy your items for the store, how much money you have to pay for your office space, and how much money you have to pay your workers. There are other costs, too, but we can just start with those. Each month, you have to make sure that you make enough money to cover those costs.”

 “I know that when you sell the ice cream that is how you get the money back from buying the ice cream, but where do you get money for the other things?” Zion asked.

“We actually have to sell the ice cream for more money than we bought the ingredients for. This is one time when math comes in. I have to total up how much I spent on all of the ingredients. Then I have to figure out how many servings of ice cream those ingredients will make. Next I have to divide the cost by the servings, and add in extra to pay for the building and for my

workers’ paychecks,” Mr. Warner responded. “But, I also have to make sure that it’s not too expensive, and that it tastes delicious, otherwise no one will want to come to my shop. When I make really good ice cream that brings in a lot of customers, then I know I’m running my business the right way. If I don’t make good ice cream, then I don’t make any money. That would be awful, because I have to be able to pay all of the wonderful people who work here!”

It was time for them to go, but Zion was very thankful for Mr. Warner’s  explanation. “Thank you, Mr. Warner. There’s a lot for me to learn!”

“Anytime, Zion. You’re welcome to come back and ask more questions, I’m happy to help a future business leader!”

Answer each question:

1. Retell the story in your own words.

2. Describe Mr. Warner’s character. What evidence from the text helps you describe him?

 3. What other questions could Zion ask Mr. Warner about starting his own business?

4. What do you think Mr. Warner would change about his business if he wasn’t making enough money?

5. Why else might you need to know math to run a business?

HOW TO FIND THE THEME OF A TEXT

Reading is fun! In addition to reading for fun, though, we can also analyze texts to learn more from the texts and more about the texts. One way we can do this with fiction books, passages, or poems is by identifying the theme.

The theme of a book is the “big idea” that runs throughout the text, connecting the characters and events. Many times, it has to do with what the main character learned over the course of the story. Most of the time, the theme of a book is not written out in the words, you have to use clues in the text to infer it. Themes can be ideas like friendship, bravery, love, honesty, good versus evil, or family. The theme might not be  able to be said in just one word, though. It might be an idea such as, “Be careful what you wish for.” There may also be more than one theme in a  story.

To start finding the theme, first you need to make sure you’ve read the entire text. Characters change throughout the story, so what you might think is the theme in the beginning might not be true at the end! 

After reading the text, summarize the plot. What important events occurred during the story? What was the problem? How did the problem  get resolved? How did the character(s) change? What did the character(s) learn?

Use the answers from those questions to see if you can spot a pattern. Did a lot of the plot revolve around friendship? Did many characters resolve problems with their families? Did hard work pay off for the main character? Did the main character learn the importance of fairness?  

Once you’ve identified a “big idea,” go through the text to find evidence that supports this idea throughout the entire text. If there was only one small problem with a character’s family, then “family” might not be the theme of the text. You might find more evidence for friendship or bravery.

Now you are ready to find the theme of books, passages, and poems! Grab your favorite book and see if you can identify the theme.

Answer each question:

1. What is the theme of a text?

2. Why do you need to read the entire text before you determine the

theme?

3. What does “infer” mean in the second paragraph? How do you know?

 4. What are the four steps to finding the theme of a text?

5. How could a text have more than one theme?

LEFT OUT , Comprehension Worksheet

Trish was playing basketball with her brother outside when she saw a car pull up in Josie’s driveway. Josie jumped out of the car, and  Trish could hear a lot of voices laughing and saying goodbye to Josie.

 Trish stopped dribbling the basketball and watched as the car drove away and Josie skipped to her front door. Trish could feel her body start to get uncomfortably warm, and her eyes started to water.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Daniel asked.

“Nothing. I don’t want to play anymore.” Trish stormed inside and slammed the door. She heard the door open again behind her, but she didn’t turn around and went straight to her room. Trish could hear Daniel talking to her mom downstairs, but she didn’t want to talk to anyone.

 How could Josie do that do me? Trish thought. I thought we were friends.

**Please answer question 1 before finishing the passage**

She heard a knock on the door, but ignored it. Her mom called though the

door, “Trish, are you OK?” Trish ignored it and put her pillow over her head like earmuffs. “I’ll be downstairs if you want to talk later. It’s a good choice to calm yourself down first.”

Eventually Trish calmed down and went to talk with her mom. Her mom always had some good ideas to help her.

“What’s going on, Trish?” Mom asked when Trish

appeared in the living room. Trish took a seat.

“Josie went somewhere with our friends and she didn’t invite me,” Trish said. “Why wouldn’t she invite me? That’s not very nice. I thought we were friends.”

“Oh, honey, I’m sorry. I’d be pretty upset too if I felt left out. Maybe Josie knew that you wouldn’t like what they were going to do,” Mom suggested.

“Maybe…” Trish didn’t sound convinced.

“Why don’t you talk with Josie about it at school on Monday?” Mom said.

“I don’t want to talk to her, I’m mad! I’m just going to ignore her.”

“Well… sometimes ignoring another person is a good choice, but I don’t think this is the right time for that solution. If you ignore her, how are you ever going to solve the problem? Not talking about it is just going to make it

worse, and might mean you could lose Josie as a friend,” replied Mom.

“I still want Josie to be my friend, but talking about it is uncomfortable. I just want her to know what’s wrong and say she’s sorry.”

“That might happen, but it might not. Josie might not realize that she did something wrong, so then she’ll just get mad at you for ignoring her. I really think talking to her about how you feel is the best way to solve the problem.”

“OK, Mom, I’ll talk to her at school. Thanks,” Trish said.

And guess what? Trish’s mom was right! Josie knew Trish didn’t like snakes, and her and the other girls had gone to the zoo to see the new snake exhibit. Trish was glad she’d talked to Josie to solve the problem.

Answer each question:

1. Why do you think Trish is upset? How do you know?

2. Retell the story in your own words.

3. Describe Josie. What evidence from the text helps you describe her?

4. In the 3rd paragraph, the author could have said that Trish went inside instead of saying that she stormed inside. Why do you think the author chose to use the word stormed?

5. Is there another way Trish could have tried to solve her problem? Do you think it would have worked as well as talking 
with Josie?

see also :
FIREFIGHTERS , Comprehension Worksheet
BALLET ,Reading Comprehension Worksheet

FIREFIGHTERS , Comprehension Worksheet

CURIOUS ABOUT CAREERS: FIREFIGHTERS

Firefighting is an important job to keep people safe and help keep fires from damaging too much property. It is a tough job, but if you like to help people, it could be the job for you!

Firefighters have to take physical tests to make sure their bodies are strong enough to do all of the work required. They have to be able to carry heavy objects, go up many flights of stairs, and work for a long time. Firefighters also go through frequent training. They need to be aware of the latest techniques in fighting fires, and keeping themselves and others safe.

Not only do they train themselves, but they also talk to other people about fire safety. Some schools have the firefighters come in every year to teach kids about how to stay safe around fire. One of the most important parts of being a firefighter is working as a team. Firefighters have to work together to stop fires, even down to holding the hose together!

Some firefighters stay at the fire station for an entire day, including overnight.

When there is not a fire going on, firefighters make sure all of their

equipment is clean and in working order.

After dinner, they are able to use their free time to relax. Firefighting is stressful, though. Firefighters never know when a fire or other emergency is going to happen, so they have to be ready at all times. This means that even if they just sat down to eat dinner when the fire alarm goes off, they can’t finish eating. They have to leave all of their food where it is and go to help right away. Even in the middle of the night, firefighters have to be able to wake up quickly to get to the emergency.

Firefighters wear special equipment to keep them safe. They wear big jackets and pants made of special materials to deter fire. Helmets are another type of protective equipment to protect their heads from falling objects. They wear face masks and oxygen tanks to help them breathe.

 even when the air is filled with smoke. Firefighters also wear boots to protect their feet from kicking objects and from the heat.

In addition to the equipment they wear, there is other equipment that firefighters use to help them do their jobs more easily. They use fire trucks and fire engines that are equipped with special tools. In the fire engines they have their tools organized so that they can quickly find and use them.

Firefighters use hoses to connect to fire hydrants so that they can get a lot of water at one time. They use axes to break down doors for quick access to a fire. Also, they may bring smaller fire extinguishers in case the fire is a small one that they don’t need a big hose for. They use ladders to reach people or animals in high places, such as second stories or trees.

Firefighters don’t just put out fires. There are also rescue trucks that can help people who are in car crashes. These vehicles have other tools to help get people out of cars if they’re stuck, such as jacks to lift the car, tools to break the windows, and other tools to help get car doors open.

In some places, firefighters also have to be prepared to help people who are sick or injured. These firefighters might be trained as paramedics.

These fire departments have ambulances that carry the firefighters and paramedics to the accident, then have all the tools to help treat the injured.

Thankfully, firefighters are close by to help us if there’s ever an emergency.

Firefighting is not easy, but if you like helping people, it might be a good fit for you!

Answer each question:

1. What are two personality traits firefighters should have to be successful?

2. Why is it important for firefighters to do physical tests?

 3. What does “frequent” mean in the 2nd paragraph? How do you know?

4. In addition to fighting house fires, what else do firefighters do?

5. Would firefighting be a good fit for you when you grow up? Why or why not?

see also :
BALLET ,Reading Comprehension Worksheet