4

Grade

Reading
Level S

Comprehension

STORIES INCLUDED
Strike Out?
The Gladiator’s Son
A Hyena with a Strategy
The Ice Cream Investigation
Journey Through the Magna Carta
… and 5 more!

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Grade 4 Reading Comprehension

Level S 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 S Reader

Table of Contents

Introduction & Tips ............................................................................................................... 1

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

Stories & Exercises:

The Corn Festival........................................................................................................................ 4

Journey Through the Magna Carta............................................................................................ 13

The Ice Cream Investigation ..................................................................................................... 22

The Gladiator’s Son .................................................................................................................. 30

Dog Walking Problems.............................................................................................................. 40

White Hats to the Rescue ......................................................................................................... 50

A Hyena with a Strategy............................................................................................................ 57

Electricity in Miniature. .............................................................................................................. 65

Businessman and Philanthropist ............................................................................................... 74

Strike Out? ................................................................................................................................ 82

More from K5 Learning ....................................................................................................... 91

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 Level S 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.

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 Level S 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-
[email protected].

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 Level S Reader

List of Vocabulary Words

The following vocabulary words are introduced in this workbook:

advertisement amendment auditorium backbone baron

blackmail business circuit classification Colosseum

competed competition criminals customers deafening

decision electricity extraterrestrial generator genuine

gladiator hacker humongous hyena imprison

innings installment intimidating investigate investment

journalist Latin magnet modest monarch

monopoly negotiate orator organic parliament

permission philanthropy press railroad realistic

reporting rummaging salary security specialists

systems taxes taxonomy telegraph toga

transmission tunic turbine villa weight

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 Level S Reader

permission humongous extraterrestrial

realistic installment rummaging

The Corn Festival

“Robert, come down here! Now!”

Bobby looked up from where he was rummaging in his

closet. Uh-oh. Nobody called him Robert, except when he
was in trouble. He grabbed his sneakers and ran downstairs.

“We need to leave now for the Corn Festival,” Mom said,
“but Georgia can’t find her camera, and she’s supposed to
take pictures of the Shuckathon for the school paper. Do
you know where it is?”

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 Level S Reader

Bobby gulped nervously. His older sister Georgia’s camera

was brand new and had a shiny lens, could zoom in and
out, and captured the best pictures. Bobby had taken it to
school yesterday to show his friends at Art Club, and they
had used it to photograph the new issue of their comic
book, Captain Watermelon Saves the Fourth Grade .
Afterward, they had been so busy planning the next
installment tha t Bobby had forgotten the camera in the art
room. He hadn’t meant to forget it. He’d meant to put it
right back in Georgia’s room, but now it was too late.

Mom put both hands on her hips. “If you took her camera
without permission, you’ll have to stay home from the
festival as punishment.”

Bobby really, really didn’t want to miss the Corn Festival.

Besides the Shuckathon, a competition to see who
could shuc k the most corn in five minutes, there were
midway rides, a parade, a funnel cake truck, and a
petting zoo with donkeys, cows, sheep and
llamas. All of Bobby’s friends were
going, and he didn’t want to be
excluded. He tried to look
innocent and said, “Mayb e
extraterrestrial aliens took it?”

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 Level S Reader

“I don’t think that’s very realistic,” said Mom, giving him her
best don’t-mess-with-me look.

Bobby looked away and began ty ing his laces. He didn’t

tell his mom that he had brought the camera to school .

By the time they parked the car, it seemed that the whole
town was at the festival. Inside a humongous tent with a
buffet of chicken, roasted corn and potatoes, the Corn King
was walking around handing out brochures which said that
manufacturers use corn to
make things like soap,
laundry detergent, paint, and
even fireworks. Bobby
laughed. Tasty as corn was,
who would want to smell like
corn after a bath?

The Shuckathon started just before dusk. Big boxes of sweet

corn were laid out in front of every contestant. This ye ar,
Bobby was convinced Principal Brown would win, because
she was always telling corny jokes at school assemblies.
Beside him, Georgia kept her hands in her pockets, and she
was looking down at the pavement. Bobby felt his stomach
clench. She would not ge t any photos of the contest for the
paper, and it was all his fault.

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 Level S Reader

The announcer rang a big gong, and the

contestants began stripping the husks from
the corn as quickly as possible. When the
clock ran out, there was a loud buzzzz. The
mayor tallied the score. “The winner is
Principal Brown!” he cried. “She shucked 27
ears of corn.” The crowd whistled and
clapped.

“Bobby, wait up!” somebody y elled.

Bobby whirled around. It was his teacher,
Mrs. Appleton. “I think you forgot this
yesterday,” she said, reaching into her bag.

Oh, no, Bobby thought, looking at Mom.

“I discovered your camera by the acrylic paints rack, and I

thought you’d want it back,” Mrs. Appleton said, handing it
over.

“Thanks,” Bobby said.

After Mrs. Appleton left, Bobby’s mother crossed her arms

and gave him a stern look. Georgia looked furious.

“I’m sorry, Georgia,” he cried. “I needed it for Art Club. I

didn’t mean to lose it.”

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 Level S Reader

“You still lied about it,” his sister said. “That’s not fair.”

Mom nodded. “You’d better find a way to make it up to

her, Bobby. And no video games for you all week.”

That night, Bobby thought about what he had done for a

long time, and eventually he got an idea. The next week,
instead of going to Art Club with his friends, Bobby went
with Georgia to the newspaper office and drew a full -page
comic strip of the Shuckathon to go along with the article
about the Corn Festival. He even drew Principal Brown and
all 27 ears of corn with his brightest yellow and green
markers.

“It’s perfect,” Georgia said,

grinning. “I t’s even better than the
photos would have been. Next time,
just ask to borrow my camera. Okay?”

“I promise,” Bobby said. “Wait, one more

thing…” He leaned over and wrote
‘To Be Corn-tinued’ at the end of the
page.

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 Level S Reader

The Corn Festival (exercises)

1. Multiple Choice

Which after-school club is Bobby in ?

a. Science Club
b. Corn Club
c. Underwater Club
d. Art Club

Why does Bobby lie about where the camera is?

a. because he is mad at his sister

b. because he wants to go to the festival
c. because he does not want his picture to be taken
d. because he cannot remember where he put it

Who finds Georgia’s camera ?

a. the mayor
b. Principal Brown
c. Mrs. Appleton
d. Captain Watermelon

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 Level S Reader

2. Which of these things can corn be used to make?

a. fireworks

b. paint

c. milk

d. sweaters

e. soap

f. soccer balls

g. laundry detergent

3. Fill in the blanks using words from the story.

a. During the Shuckathon, the crowd

____________________ for the contestants.

b. At the Corn Festival, there were attractions such as

____________________ and ____________________.

c. To apologize to his sister for ly ing, Bobby

____________________ a comic strip for the school paper.

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 Level S Reader

4. Think of a contest or sports event you have seen and draw

a cartoon of it.

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 Level S Reader

The Corn Festival (answers)

1. Multiple Choice.

d. Art Club
d. because he cannot remember where he put it
c. Mrs. Appleton

2. Which of these things can corn be used to make?

3. Fill in the blanks using words from the story.

a. During the Shuckathon, the crowd whistled and

clapped for the contestants.

b. At the Corn Festival, there were attractions such as

midway rides and a funnel cake truck.

c. To apologize to his sister for lying, Bobby drew a comic

strip for the school paper.

4. Answers will vary.

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 Level S Reader

taxes imprison parliament

baron monarch negotiate

Journey Through the Magna Carta

Rory stepped off the plane, shrugged his pack onto his
shoulders, and walked into Heathrow Airport. He missed his
favorite cousin, Kate, now that she was studying in London.
He was almost as excited to see his nerdy cousin as he was
to be traveling to England.

As promised, Kate was waiting in the arrivals and baggage

area. She chattered excitedl y about her London adventures
on the way to her apartment. Once Rory was settled in,
Kate told him that they would be going to the British Library
to see the Magna Carta tomorrow .”

Rory wanted to be excited, but all he could muster was:

“Carta what-a?”

“The Magna Carta!”

she exclaimed. “You
must have studied it in
school?”

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 Level S Reader

Rory shook his head. “I think I was sick that

day.”

Not one to be held back by her less

studious cousin, Kate spent the next hour
giving Rory the historical highlights of the
Magna Carta.

“Prior to the Magna Carta, the king was

the absolute ruler of all of England. He
owned all the land, and he could make
whatever laws he wanted, fair or un fair. He
could imprison people without a trial and
tax people as much as he wanted. He did not even have to
follow his own laws; he could do any thing he wanted.
Normal people had no individual rights.”

“That sounds horrible,” Rory said.

Kate nodded. “Over time, people became more and more

frustrated with that unfair system. A group of barons began
to protest and refuse to pay taxes. The barons were
concerned that the king was over -taxing them and that he
had too much power.”

“Who were the barons?” Rory wanted to know.

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 Level S Reader

“Barons were wealthy people who had pledged loyalty to

the king and had been granted land for their use. King John
knew it was important for him to keep the support of the
barons, so he began to negotiate with them, working out a
fairer system.”

The Magna Carta was signed on

June 15, 1215. In the document, King
John agreed not to imprison the barons
without first giving them a fair trial. It
also limited the amount of taxes he
could collect, and, in return, the
barons promised to support the king
and pay their taxes.”

“Lucky for us the barons made the King stop being so

bossy,” Rory said.

Kate laughed. “The agreement was important because it

was the first time in western civilization that a monarch
created a written document limiting his own authority over
his subjects. For the next 500 years or so, the Magna Carta
was a critical document in balancing the powers of the
monarchy and people.

“So, it lasted only until around 1700?” Rory asked.

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 Level S Reader

Kate nodded. “Over time, democratic ideas became

popular; finally, in 1689, an elected parliament became
more powerful than the monarch in the British system. The
Magna Carta was so popular that colonists brought copies
of it with them overseas. Many sections of the United States
Constitution come directl y from the text of the Magna
Carta.”

“Wow,” Rory exclaimed when Kate finished talking. “The

Magna Carta really is an important document. It’s why I
don’t have to listen to a king telling me what to do!”

“It’s true,” agreed Kate. “Over the centuries, pe ople have

used it to argue that the power to govern must come from
the will of the people, not from being born a
queen or a king.”

“Now I see the excitement,” said Rory. “Will

I be able to take a picture of it tomorrow?”

“Probably not,” answered Kate, “the

parchment paper is so old and fragile that the
flash from a camera can damage it. I had to
get special permission from one of my
professors so that we can view the document
tomorrow at the British Library.”

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 Level S Reader

The next day at the library, Kate and Rory he ld their breath
while the document case was brought in. The original
Magna Carta was handwritten with a quill pen and ink on
sheepskin parchment.

“I can’t read it,” Rory whispered to his cousin, squinting and

blushing.

“I forgot to mention that it’s writ ten in medieval Latin!” she

whispered back and then laughed. “I can’t read it either,
but I like imagining the king and those barons changing
history all those years ago.”

When they were back outside, Rory turned to Kate. “Well,

that was amazing, but my brain feels a little too full. Can we
go see the city from the London Eye now?”

“You bet,” answered Kate. “And then fish and chips – my

treat!”

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 Level S Reader

Journey Through the Magna Carta

(exercises)

1. True or False

____________ a. Rory had never heard of the Magna

Carta before Kate told him about it.

____________ b. The Magna Carta was signed in 1315.

____________ c. Before the Magna Carta was signed,

the king had the right to do
whatever he wanted to do.

____________ d. The barons were poor people who

did not own any land.

____________ e. Kate and Rory went to see the

Magna Carta at the London Public
Library.

____________ f. After the Magna Carta was signed,

nobody had to pay taxes anymore.

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 Level S Reader

2. Short Answers

a. What were three things the barons were protesting

before the Magna Carta was signed ?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

b. What did King John agree to do when he signed

the document?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

c. What did the barons agree to do upon signing the

Magna Carta ?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

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 Level S Reader

3. What does the word “negotiate” mean? What is

something you would like to negotiate with your
parents?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

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 Level S Reader

Journey Through the Magna Carta

(answers)

1. True or False

2. Short Answers

a. The barons protested against unfair taxation,

imprisonment without a fair trial, and the king
having too much power.

b. He agreed not to imprison people without a fair

trial, and he agreed not to overtax his subjects.

c. The barons agreed to support the king and pay

their taxes.

3. Answers may vary.

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 Level S Reader

organic journalist amendment

press reporting investigate

The Ice Cream Investigation

Ellie was ready. She had her tape recorder, her notebook,
and a fresh pen, and she was fifteen minutes early to the
grand opening of the neighborhood’s
brand-new ice cream truck. A good reporter
was never late to an important press
conference, and this would be the first
roving ice cream truck in town. Behind Ellie,
a whole crowd of people had gathered to
see Mr. Barlowe cut the cream -colored
ribbon and start serving his delicious dairy
confections.

Lots of people said that she was too young to be a

journalist, but Ellie did not care. She wrote about topics that
the whole fourth grade was interested in, and everyone in
her class had been excited about the new ice cream truck.

Mr. Barlowe stepped up to a podium in front of the crowd.

“Welcome to Barlowe’s Candy Shop!” he exclaimed. “All
our flavors are 100% homemade, organic and gourmet.”

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 Level S Reader

Ellie wrote down everything he said. Afterward, Mr.

Barlowe’s wife began scooping cones of Peppermint Twist
and Triple Chocolate Chunk for the neighborhood kids. It
was time for Ellie to interview customers. She walked up to
her classmate, Daniel, who was holding a triple scoop in a
waffle cone, with his face covered in what
looked like Lemon Sherbet Swirl.

“Hi,” she said. “I’m reporting on the new ice

cream truck. Do you like your flavor?”

“Sure,” he replied. “It’s delicious. It tastes exactly

like the kind my mom buys at the store.” A few sprinkles fell
from his chin. “But it was so expensive! My allowance was
only enough for one cone.”

“Hmm,” Ellie murmured. The Barlowes’ ice cream was

supposed to be organic, with special ingredients, so it was
very peculiar that people would think it tasted like the kind
from the store. Ellie decided to investigate.

“Do you like the ice cream?” Daniel asked.

“It doesn’t matter what my opinion is; a reporter has to be

objective,” Ellie told him. “I can write down what customers
think, and I can report what I see and hear, but journalism is
all about the facts.”

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 Level S Reader

Ellie made sure she wrote down the correct spell ing of
Daniel’s name so she could quote him later . She then
ducked around to the back of the ice cream truck and
began poking around, examining the scene. All at once,
she stopped in her tracks. Next to the back door of the
truck was a garbage can, and it was overflowing with
empty ice cream cartons. Ellie crept up for a closer
inspection and gasped. Sure enough, they were the same
brand sold in the frozen aisle at Goldman’s Grocery! They
were still sticky.

Ellie called in through the back

door of the truc k. “Mr.
Barlowe, I’d like to ask you a
few more questions,” she said.
“Are you using store -bought ice
cream and telling people you made it
yourself?”

Mr. Barlowe turned a deep shade of red, and Ellie knew she
had caught him. He must have bought the creamy desserts
in bulk at the market, and then charged everyone extra to
buy it from him instead. That was definitely not fair.

“You can’t write about this in y our article,” Mr Barlowe

spluttered. “We’ll be ruined!”

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 Level S Reader

“I’m sorry, Mr. Barlowe, I have to tell the tr uth,” Ellie replied.

Mr Barlowe waved his finger at her. “I’ll get my lawyer to

shut this down. I’ll call your teacher.”

Ellie just shook her head. That wasn’t going to work. Ellie
knew that the First Amendment to the Constitution
established freedom of the press, and that meant that
nobody could tell her that she wasn’t allowed to write the
truth about something. Freedom of the press was an
important part of America’s democracy because a free
press informs the public about what was happening around
them.

Ellie knew that everyone in town would

want to know where Barlowe’s ice cream
came from. She published her article the
next day, and all the neighborhood
parents were outraged. Mr. Barlowe
gave a public apology, and he promised
that all his ice cream would be truly
homemade from then on. After school, he
drove his truck to the playground and offered
free samples of his tasty treats, and Ellie stood
proudly in line, ready to get her next big scoop.

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 Level S Reader

The Ice Cream Investigation (exercises)

1. What items does Ellie have with her for the press
conference? Circle all that apply .

a. pen
b. notebook
c. water bottle
d. tape recorder
e. magnify ing glass
f. extra underwear
g. ice cream cones

2. Multiple Choice

What was NOT one of the flavors the ice cream truck
served?

a. Triple Chocolate Chunk

b. Peppermint Twist
c. Lemon Sherbet Swirl
d. Carrot Cake Cream

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 Level S Reader

Why doesn’t Ellie tell Daniel what she thinks of the ice
cream?

a. She is allergic to ice cream.

b. She does not like Daniel.
c. A good reporter does not include their own
opinion in a news article.
d. She is afraid the ice cream is radioactive.

How does Ellie know that Mr. Barlowe is lying about his
ice cream?

a. She reads his mind.

b. She finds his receipts from the store.
c. Daniel tells her.
d. She sees empty cartons of store -bought ice cream
behind his truck.

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 Level S Reader

3. Short Answer

a. What does freedom of the press mean?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

b. Do you think Ellie did the right thing by publishing

the article? Why or why not?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

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 Level S Reader

The Ice Cream Investigation (answers)

1. What items does Ellie have with her for the press
conference? Circle all that apply.

2. Multiple Choice

What was NOT one of the flavors the ice cream truck
served?
d. Carrot Cake Cream

Why doesn’t Ellie tell Daniel what she thinks of the ice
cream?
c. A good reporter does not include their own
opinion in a news article.

How does Ellie know that Mr. Barlowe is lying about his
ice cream?
d. She sees empty cartons of store -bought ice cream
behind his truck.

3. Answers may vary .

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 Level S Reader

villa orator Colosseum

toga tunic gladiator

The Gladiator’s Son

The gladiator took his son’s hand in his own rough and
calloused one. “Son, they want to send you to gladiator
school to begin training soon, but this is not the life I want
for you. I do not want you to ever stand in an arena and
fight another gladiator or beast. So, tonight, you will run
away. Go to school and learn math, Greek,
and geography. Learn from Plato
and Socrates. Rise above all of
this.”

Marco looked around the dark, dank

cell at the scarred faces of the other
gladiators. This was the only life he had
ever known, and he did not want to
leave. However, one by one, the
gladiators nodded and told Marco to
listen to his father’s wise words.

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 Level S Reader

That night, Marco quietly slipped away. Wiping away a tear,

he glanced back at the towering Colosseum, its smooth,
white marble walls glistening in the moonlight. He had
watched his father fight many times in that immense
building in front of crowds of tho usands of cheering people.

He fell asleep beneath a statue of Rome’s founder,

Romulus. According to legend, Romulus and his brother,
Remus, had been raised by wolves until they were
eventually found by shepherds. If Romulus could have such
a difficult life but still be the founder of the great city of
Rome, then Marco knew he, too, could overcome his
difficulties.

In the morning, Marco awoke to a girl yelling at him. “Boy!

You cannot sleep there! What are you doing inside my
family’s villa?”

Marco sprang to his feet. The

girl was about his age, but
intimidating. As Marco turned
to run away, the girl grabbed
his arm. “Wait! I have seen
you before. You are from the
Colosseum, are you not? Your
father is a gladiator?”

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 Level S Reader

Marco nodded and without knowing why, he began to tell

her his story. When he finished, the girl squinted at him for a
moment before saying, “Your father is wise. The gladiator
fights are barbaric. My name is Cara, and I am going to
help you start your new life. Wait here.”

A few minutes later, Cara returned and

handed him a tunic and a toga. “Put these
on. You cannot go to school dressed as
you are. These belonged to my older
brother, but he will not miss them. I will
turn away, so you do not need to be
bashful, but please hurry!” She spu n
around and faced the garden wall.

Marco quickly removed his tattered wrap,

slid the tunic over his head and then put
on the toga. “Okay, I am ready .”

Cara looked him over and then handed

him a wax tablet. “This will be your school
tablet. You write on i t with this stylus, and
then you can soften the wax to erase what you have
written. Now, follow me. I have an idea for where you can
live.”

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 Level S Reader

As they walked down the bumpy cobblestone street,

merchants and tradesmen were selling their wares: fruits,
vegetables, fish, handmade dishes and pottery, beautiful
jewelry, and wool clothing. The aroma of garlic and herbs
filled the air. Entertainers sang, danced and told stories. The
streets were noisy with the bustle of the crowd. They passed
by insula after insula, apartment buildings made of
mudbricks and timbers. Finally, they reached their
destination.

Cara pointed at a five -story insula. The courtyard was full of

people cooking over small fires and cleaning their laundry
in large wooden buckets of water. “There is an old woman
here who makes pottery. She does not
have much, but you will work for her and
she will give you a place to live and help
you go to school. With an education, you
will never have to fight as a gladiator.

For the next 5 years, Marco spent his

mornings in a small school, learning to read,
write and give speeches with the other boys. In his
afternoons, he worked for the lady making all types of clay
bowls and containers. Because of Cara and a kind, elderly
woman who took him in, he was able to c omplete his
schooling and rise above his past.

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 Level S Reader

Years later, Marco became one of the most well -known

orators in Rome. He and other educated men spoke
eloquently against the violence of arena battles. When the
Emperor Honorius decreed the end to gladiator fights,
Marco went to the Col osseum. As he rested his hand on the
cold, stone wall, memories of his father and the sacrifices
that his father had made for him, flooded his mind. He knew
his father was proud of him, and he was proud to be a
gladiator’s son.

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 Level S Reader

The Gladiator’s Son (exercises)

1. Vocabulary : Use clues from the text to figure out what

the underlined words mean.

“They want to send you to gladiator school to begin

training next week, but this is not the life I want for
you.” What does gladiator mean?

a. someone who is happy all the time

b. an older person
c. someone who fought other people or beasts to
make a living
d. a person who cleaned the Coliseum

“They passed by insula after insula, apartment buildings

made from mudbricks and timbers.” What does insula
mean?

a. types of statues
b. roads
c. indoor kitchens
d. ancient apartment buildings

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 Level S Reader

“You write on it with this stylus and then you can soften
the wax to erase what you’ve written.” What does
stylus mean?

a. something you could use to write with

b. someone with good fashion sense
c. a place where a pig lives
d. someone with terrible fashion sense

“Marco quickl y removed his tattered wrap and slid the

tunic over his head and then put on the toga.” What
does toga mean?

a. a type of exercise
b. clothing that was once worn in Ancient Rome
c. a type of chariot
d. a party game

“Years later, Marco became one of the most well -

known orators in Rome.” What does orator mean?

a. someone who rates things

b. a type of gladiator
c. a person who gives speeches
d. someone who likes to eat

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 Level S Reader

2. Compare/ Contrast

Mark wants to tell his classmates how schools in

Ancient Rome were different from schools now. Use the
Venn Diagram below. Re-write each statement in the
correct place on the Venn Diagram. If a statement
describes Ancient Rome schools, place th e statement
under “Ancient Rome”. If it describes schools today,
place the statement under “Schools Now”. If it
describes both schools in Ancient Rome and schools
today, place the statement in the middle.

Students use wax Students use paper,

tablets. pencils, and computers.

Students learn new Boys and girls go to

things from teachers. school.

Generally, only boys go Students learn to read

to school. and write.

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 Level S Reader

Ancient Rome Schools Now

Both

3. Pretend you had to give a speech to convince people

that the gladiator fights should not be allowed. What
would you say? Write a paragraph.

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

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 Level S Reader

The Gladiator’s Son (answers)

1. Vocabulary: Use clues from the text to figure out the

words means.

c. someone who fought other people or beasts to

make a living
d. ancient apartment buildings
a. something you could use to write with
b. clothing that was once worn in Ancient Rome
c. a person who gives speeches

2. Compare/ Contrast

3. Answers will vary.

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 Level S Reader

business monopoly advertisement

decision customers competition

Dog Walking Problems

Zeke was the best dog walker in the neighborhood. He was

also the only dog walker in the neighborhood. Every
afternoon, as soon as he got home from school, he went to
pick up Spot, Lassie, Benji and Domino while their owners
were still at work.

Zeke’s dog walking business was important to him, but it

wasn’t only because he loved dogs. Zeke was saving the
money he earned from dog walking so he could purchase a
hot new video game, Green Ghosts Gone Wild .

On Tuesday afternoon, Zeke got off the bus as usual,

dropped his backpack in the front hall,
grabbed the dog leashes off the hook and
headed over to pick up Spot. He
whistled as he walked down the
street, swinging the leashes in
his hand.

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 Level S Reader

His whistle dried up when he saw a girl he did not recognize

standing on Spot’s front step. Spot, a dalmatian, jumped in
the air as the girl dangled a squeaky stuffed kangaroo just
above his snout.

“Excuse me,” Zeke said. “I’m Zeke, the dog walker, and i t’s
time for Spot’s after -school walk.”

“Oh, good!” the girl said, “Mrs.

Randolph told me you’d drop off
Spot’s leash. I’m Spot’s new dog
walker, Jules,” she said, smiling and
holding out one hand for the leash.

“B-b-but Mrs. Randolph didn’t tell me that, ” Zeke

stammered as he handed over the leash.

Jules shrugged and clipped the leash onto Spot’s collar.

“I’m not sure about that,” she said. “Let’s go, Spot.”

Watching them walk towards the dog park, Zeke frowned as

he realized that he had lost one of his c ustomers. He was
going to miss walking Spot, and he would also miss the
money that Mrs. Randolph had been paying him for walking
her dog.

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 Level S Reader

Two days later, Zeke was walking Lassie, a collie, when Jules
came around the corner with Spot and a small, bouncy
black Labrador puppy.

“Whose dog is that?” Zeke asked.

“Our neighbors in the other half of our duplex just got her,”
Jules said. “Isn’t she adorable?”

Zeke nodded as he tried to pat the puppy, but she was too
busy chasing her tail.

Once again Zeke grimac ed as he

watched Jules walk away to the
dog park. He felt angry at Jules.
A week ago, he had had a
monopoly on dog walking in the
neighborhood. Now he had real
competition. He had already
lost one old customer, and now
he had lost one potential new
customer. If he did not do
anything soon, his dog walking
business would go bust!

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 Level S Reader

As he walked Lassie down the street, Zeke calmed down

and kept thinking about his problem. Being angry at Jules
didn’t make any sense; she had not done anything wrong.
Getting angry was not going to solve anything; instead, he
needed a new idea. As Lassie stopped to sniff around a
telephone pole, Zeke noticed a poster pinned to the pole
advertising fortune telling services. Zeke stared at the
poster and read it over and o ver. He didn’t want his
fortune told, but the poster gave him an idea.

When Zeke got home, he went straight to his

computer and designed his own advertisement.

NEED A DOG WALKER? the flyer asked in bright

blue writing, ASK ZEKE! The flyer had pictures
of happy dogs and Zeke’s email address at
the bottom.

Zeke printed twenty flyers and pinned them to

telephone poles and street signs all over the neighborhood.

By the end of the week, Zeke was swimming in new business .

He had three new clients, which gave him a total of six dogs
to walk. However, he quickly ran into a new problem : it was
almost impossible for him to walk six dogs at the same time.

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 Level S Reader

When Zeke received another call for a new dog to be

walked, he made a decision. The next day, he went to
Jules’ house.

“Hi, Zeke,” Jules said, when she answered the door, “What
brings you here?”

“I have an idea,” Zeke said, and he took a deep breath.

“Do you want to go into business together?”

Jules looked confused for a moment.

“What do you mean?”

“I have seven dogs to walk, and you

have two,” he explained, “What if we
split up the work and walked them
together?”

Jules looked thoughtful, and Zeke felt

apprehensive until she laughed.

“Yes! I would love to!” she said.

“Really?” Zeke asked.

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 Level S Reader

“Absolutely. I think it would be more fun to work with

someone as a partner. I can also use the extra money,
because I’m saving up to buy a new video game."

Which video game is that?” asked Zeke.

“Green Ghosts Gone Wild , of course,” replied Jules.

Zeke and Jules went on to have a remarkably successful

partnership.

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 Level S Reader

Dog Walking Problems (exercises)

1. Multiple Choice

What kind of dog is Spot?

a. a pug
b. a golden retriever
c. a dalmatian
d. a cat

Why was Zeke shocked when Jules started walking

Spot?

a. Spot was his favorite dog .

b. He thought she was trying to steal Spot.
c. Mrs. Randolph had not told him of the change.
d. Spot seemed upset by her new walker.

What is not one of the names of the neighborhood

dogs?

a. Domino
b. Beans
c. Lassie
d. Benji

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 Level S Reader

What toy does Spot play with?

a. a stick
b. a tennis ball
c. a dictionary
d. a stuffed kangaroo

2. Write a paragraph that uses all these words:

competition, business, customer, advertisement .

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

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 Level S Reader

3. Pretend you have a dog walking business. Think of a

name for the business and design a poster for it.

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 Level S Reader

Dog Walking Problems (answers)

1. Multiple Choice

What kind of dog is Spot?

c. a dalmatian

Why was Zeke shocked when Jules started walking

Spot?

c. Mrs. Randolph had not told him of the change.

What is not one of the names of the neighborhood

dogs?

b. Beans

What toy does Spot play with ?

d. a stuffed kangaroo

2. Write a paragraph that uses all these words:

competition, business, customer, advertisement.

Answers will vary.

3. Pretend you have a dog walking business. Think of a

name for the business and design a poster for it.

Answers will vary.

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 Level S Reader

security criminals specialists

hacker systems blackmail

White Hats to the Rescue

Computer systems contain a lot of valuable information.

There are criminals who try to break into systems and get
access to that data. Computers have security
systems, like passwords, to keep the bad
guys out. Unfortunately, those
security systems do not always
work.

Hackers, who are sometimes

called black hats, break into
computer systems to gain access
to information such as people’s
passwords. Using those passwords, hackers can pretend to
be someone else. They can take money from someone’s
bank accounts or use their credit cards to shop online.

One particularly terrible group of hackers broke into a

hospital’s computer and shut it down, putting lives at risk.
Then, they blackmailed the hospital, asking for money to
open the system back up again.

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 Level S Reader

Luckily, there are good guys working to fight the hackers

and protect people’s information. These people are called
white hats. They use the same skills as hackers, but for good
instead of evil. The names “white hat” and “black hat”
come from old-time Western movies in which the good guys
wore white cowboy hats and the bad guys wore black hats.

A white hat’s job is to break into a security system just like a

criminal hacker does. Unlike the hackers, they do not use
the information they find for crimes. Instead, they tell
companies how they broke into the company’s system.
Then, they show the companies how to protect their systems
and keep black hat hackers out.

Many companies have a team of

software and hardware engineers who
set up their computers. That team is
also supposed to make sure no
one breaks into the system.

To test whether their systems are secure, company leaders

hire white hats to try to sneak into their computer systems.
The company leaders will not tell their computer team that
the white hats are trying to break in. They want the white
hats to see if they can make changes to the system without
their computer team noticing.

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 Level S Reader

Over the course of a few days, the white hats will see how
deeply they can break into the system. They will also
determine what changes they can make to the system
before they get caught. When they are finished, some
hackers will even purposely set off the company ’s security
alarms to show that they were there.

White hats have made headlines by breaking into security

systems of huge companies. In 2015, white hats gained
access to a car from far away. They took over the
computerized driving system, just like a remote -control car,
all while someone was try ing to drive the car! This event
forced the car company to take 1.4 million vehicles off the
road and improve its security system.

White hats have also broken into home

security systems that use cameras. The
hackers could use the security
system’s cameras to see the
people leaving the house, which
meant hackers could rob the
home when no one was there. In
response, home security
companies had to improve their
security.

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 Level S Reader

Sometimes the life of a white -hat hacker sounds like

something out of a movie. Tsutomu Shimomura is a white hat
whose computers were attacked by Kevin Mitnick, a famous
black hat. Mitnick personally attacked Shimomura’s
computers. That started a hacking battle between them.
Shimomura won the cybersecurity battle by teaming up with
the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to take Mitnick
down and stop him from hacking other computer systems.

For many years, most people did not know they could do
white-hat hacking as a job because computer security was
so new. Today, white-hat jobs are more common. People
can take college classes in white -hat hacking and become
cybersecurity specialists. White hats fight crime in a unique
way and are superheroes to the people whose information
and data they help protect.

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 Level S Reader

White Hats to the Rescue (exercises)

1. Multiple Choice

What do white hats and black hats have in common ?

a. They both break into computer systems.

b. They both use their skills to help people.
c. They both work for computer companies.
d. They both go on someone’s head.

Where did Tsutomu Shimomura and Kevin Mitnick have

their battle ?

a. in a boxing ring at Madison Square Garden

b. over computer networks
c. at the FBI office in Washington, DC
d. in a video game

How do white hats help make computer systems

stronger?

a. They change all the system passwords.

b. They build a wall around all the computers.
c. They build new systems for companies.
d. They show companies how to fix their systems’
security.

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 Level S Reader

2. True or False

White hat hacking is a newer

job because computer systems T F
are new.

Hackers can use information in

computer systems to take
T F
money from people’s bank
accounts .

Black hats broke into a car’s

driving system and could drive T F
it like a remote-control car.

White hats sometimes set off a

company’s security alarm to T F
show they are there.

3. Strong passwords help keep hackers out of your

computer. Write a “weak” password and a strong
password. Explain why one is weak and one is strong .

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

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 Level S Reader

White Hats to the Rescue (answers)

1. Multiple Choice

What do white hats and black hats have in common?

a. They both break into computer systems.

Where did Tsutomu Shimomura and Kevin Mitnick have

their battle ?
b. over computer networks

How do white hats help make computer systems

stronger?
d. They show companies how to fix their systems’
security.

2. True or False

3. Answers may vary.

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 Level S Reader

Latin auditorium classification

hyena backbone taxonomy

A Hyena with a Strategy

Alice hadn’t expected to be interested in taxonomy, the

science of classify ing animals, but once her science
teacher, Mrs. Rhuday, showed her how sorting and naming
animals could be turned into a game, she became
addicted.

Upon discovering Alice’s compet itive nature, Ms. Rhuday

enrolled her in competitions for middle school students
where the object of the game was to figure out an animal’s
scientific name as quickly as possible. Alice was about to
compete in the state finals, which would determine which
students would go on to the national competition.

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 Level S Reader

Alice had learned that the system taxonomists use for

classifying animals was developed in the 18th century by a
Swedish man named Carolus Linnaeus. Linnaeus divided all
living things into groups across seven levels. The animals in
each group have a shared characteristic. For example, all
animals that have a backbone are in the
Vertabrate group, and all six -legged insects
are in the Hexapoda group.

‘Kingdom,’ at the top, is a broad level.

Every animal in the world is part of Kingdom
Animalia. The bottom level, ‘species,’ is narrow. Humans,
Japanese beetles, and kangaroo rats are examples of
separate species. An animal’s scientific name includes the
Latin names for each classification they belong to.

Alice’s task when playing the game was to find a particular

animal’s scientific names at each level . At first, she had
been confused by the system, but competing in the games
helped her understand it.

A map of the animal kingdom was given to each student

competitor at the start of the game. The map didn’t include
every animal because it would be too complicated. The
game makers reduced the types of animals used so the
game wouldn’t take a million hours to complete.

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 Level S Reader

At the start of the state finals, Alice w as studying the animal

kingdom map she had been handed. A bell sounded, and
she looked up at the board on the other side of the
auditorium. The host of the game was ready to reveal the
first animals the kids would be asked to name.

Alice caught her science teacher’s eye in the stands. Ms.

Rhuday smiled at her. Alice made a face, as if she were
roaring like a hyena. Ms. Rhuday smiled even wider and
winked at her. It was their special signal that meant Alice
was ready.

In the competition,
three kids played at a
time, and they were
given five animals to
classify. When one
student could name an
animal’s entire
classification, that
animal was taken off the
board, and the other
students had to move
on to another animal.

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 Level S Reader

Alice’s strategy to beat her competito rs was to imagine

herself as a hyena. Hyenas are extremely smart predators
who can sense their prey ’s weaknesses and attack them.
Alice listened and studied her competitors to see which
areas of the classification system they knew best. She would
solve those areas first before the other students could, then
move on to animals where she had more knowledge. That’s
why she roared like a hyena. She was ready to take down
her competition.

Alice zipped through the first couple of rounds, eliminating

other players easily. She knew her competitors liked naming
insects, so she focused on finding those first.
Then she moved on to fish, which was an area
where she was an expert.

At last, it was time for the final round of

the day. Only two other students
stood between her and the state
championship trophy. Alice was
excited but nervous. Her opponents
seemed to be very calm and clever
looking. She really wanted to win, but what if she didn’t
recognize the last animal? She hoped it woul d not be a
bird, which was her weakest category.

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 Level S Reader

The game maker revealed the final animal to be sorted. It

was a hyena! Quickly, Alice dashed off the entire
classification of the hyena and rang her bell to submit it.
She was right! She had won the contest!

Alice ran out into the audie nce and gave her teacher a
high five. Then they both gave victory roars, like hyenas.

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 Level S Reader

A Hyena with a Strategy (exercises)

1. Multiple Choice

What language do many of the scientific names come

from?

a. English
b. Spanish
c. Latin
d. Klingon

Why did Alice have the hyena’s scientific name

memorized?

a. She memorized the entire animal kingdom.

b. She imagines she is a hyena when she competes.
c. She has a pet hyena.
d. She saw the hyenas at the zoo.

Which of the following are not an example of a

species?

a. humans
b. Japanese beetles
c. refrigerators
d. kangaroo rats

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 Level S Reader

2. Match the words and definitions .

Scientist who developed a

Taxonomy classification system for living
things.

Process of grouping something

Linnaeus according to shared qualities
or characteristics.

Kingdom The science of classifying

animals.

The broadest level in the

Classification
taxonomy system.

3. There are lots of different types of dogs. Invent your

own classification system for dogs, with at least 2
levels, and classify the following dog breeds:

A Chihuahua A Poodle
A German Shepherd A Great Dane

___________________________ ___________________________

___________________________ ___________________________

___________________________ ___________________________

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 Level S Reader

A Hyena with a Strategy (answers)

1. Multiple Choice

What language do many of the scientific names come

from?
c. Latin

Why did Alice have the hyena’s scientific name

memorized?
b. She imagines she is a hyena when she competes.

Which of the following are not an example of a

species?
c. refrigerators

2. Match the words and definitions.

3. Answers will vary.

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 Level S Reader

turbine electricity transmission

circuit magnet generator

Electricity in Miniature

The rain pounded on the roof.

The wind blew hard and
lightning flashed. Even though
it was only two o’clock in the
afternoon, it looked like
nighttime because the clouds
were so dark. As thunder
rumbled, ten-year-old Esme looked up from the drawing she
was working on with a worried expression.

“Don’t worry, Esme,” said Grandpa. “This house has s een

many, many electrical storms.” He gestured to the dollhouse
on the table. It was a small replica of a real house, right
down to the miniature decorations and the tiny plates,
forks, and spoons. “Come see what I’m working on today.”

Esme wiggled closer to him at the table. Last weekend, she

had helped him fill tiny garden pots with itsy -bitsy flowers,
coffee grounds and glue. Grandma had put them outside
the dollhouse’s front door.

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 Level S Reader

“Look at my new furniture.” Grandma pointed to a

little desk and lamp, a miniature umbrella and
a porcelain tray with teeny -tiny
chocolate chip cookies.

“This little lamp needs a new

receptacle,” said Grandpa.

“What is a receptacle?” Esme

asked.

“See how the little lamp has a wire and a plug? The plug
inserts into the miniature receptacle, or outlet, on the wall,
just like the lamps in our house. They all need electricity.”

“But where does the electricity come from? Inside the

wall?”

Grandpa nodded. “Good question. What do you think?”

“Maybe a big battery?”

“It would have to be humongous!” Grandpa chuckled. “But

no, it’s not coming from a battery. It’s coming from the
wires inside our walls which connect to the wires out on the
road.”

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 Level S Reader

Grandpa ran the copper wire through the dollhouse as he

talked.

Esme looked out the win dow at the electrical transmission

wires hanging between the poles along the road. “How
does it work?” she asked.

“Electricity is energy. One way to create electricity is

converting it from the energy of moving water.

Imagine water in a river rushing alo ng and while it does, it

turns a big wheel. The wheel is called a turbine. The
spinning turbine spins a magnet which is placed
inside a coil of wires. That machine, the one with
the magnet and the wires, is called a generator.

The magical part is that whe n the magnet in

the generator spins, it creates electricity in
the wires around it. Just like magic,
electricity flows down the wires all the
way to people’s houses, including our
house and, through it, to this little doll house.”

“Grandpa, if the river st ops flowing, will our

lights go out?” Esme asked.

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 Level S Reader

“They might, but we don’t just use one river to make

electricity. We can also spin the wheel for a generator with
wind or with steam made from the heat of sunlight. We
connect all these different generato rs into a big power grid.
So, our electricity comes from lots of places.”

Esme walked over to the wall, crouched down and peered

into the electrical socket.

“Don’t touch,” Grandma said.

“Why doesn’t the electricity just spill out onto the floor?”
asked Es me, a little concerned that they might be swimming
in electricity any moment.

“Electricity isn’t like water or milk; it’s not a liquid. It’s

invisible and it needs a complete loop to flow. A
receptacle is an open ing in the loop which breaks
the flow. When you plug in the
lamp, the loop is complete and
the electricity flows and lights
up the lamp.”

Grandpa unrolled a big sheet

of paper with the blueprin t
diagram of the dollhouse.

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 Level S Reader

“This is the layout for the whole house, including the

electrical diagrams, or schematics, of every receptacle,
light source, and light switch. You can see that it all makes
big loops or circuits. The schematics show exactly what I
am doing. I t’s all planned, and once you have a plan, you
can do the wiring.”

“That’s really complicated,” Esme said.

“Okay, we’re all ready for the lamp,” Grandpa said.

Esme put the lamp on the little desk and plugged in the
miniature plug to the miniature outlet on the dollhouse wall.

Grandpa watched carefully. “Now, close the circuit to

switch on the light.”

Esme was confused for a moment then

suddenly understood. She flipped the light
switch to “On” and the lamp’s little light
bulb lit up. “Circuit’s closed,” she said.

“Ta-dah!” Grandpa said and Esme

cheered.

“See. Electricity is magical. You can’t see it or hear it, but it

does all these things for us,” said Grandpa.

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 Level S Reader

Just then, a spectacular bolt of lightning flashed outside the

kitchen window. Seconds later, the roar of thunder made
their house shake and rattle.

“Are you sure you can’t see or hear electricity, Grandpa?”

Esme asked.

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 Level S Reader

Electricity in Miniature (exercises)

1. Fill in the blanks .

Word Bank

turbine generator magnet electricity coil

The moving water in a river can spin a __________________.

A shaft through the turbine can be used to spin a

__________________ inside a __________________. The magnet

has a __________________ of wires around it. When the

magnet spins, it creates __________________ in the wires.

2. True or False

____________ a. Behind every receptacle in your

house there is a battery with
electricity.

____________ b. Whenever you turn a light on, you are

closing an electrical circuit.

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 Level S Reader

____________ c. You can fill up a bucket with

electricity by placing it under a
receptacle and turning the lights off.

3. Make a list of 10 things in your house which use

electricity.

a. _____________________________________

b. _____________________________________

c. _____________________________________

d. _____________________________________

e. _____________________________________

f. _____________________________________

g. _____________________________________

h. _____________________________________

i. _____________________________________

j. _____________________________________

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 Level S Reader

Electricity in Miniature (answers)

1. Fill in the blanks.

The moving water in a river can spin a turbine. A shaft

through the turbine can be used to spin a magnet
inside a generator. The magnet has a coil of wires
around it. When the magnet spins, it creates electricity
in the wires.

2. True or False

False a. Behind every receptacle in your

house there is a battery with
electricity.

True b. Whenever you turn a light on, you are

closing an electrical circuit.

False c. You can fill up a bucket with

electricity by placing it under a
receptacle and turning the lights off.

3. Make a list of 10 things in your house which use

electricity.

Answers will vary .

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 Level S Reader

railroad telegraph philanthropy

salary business investment

Businessman and Philanthropist

As a boy, Andrew Carnegie was likely scared when he

boarded the ship that would carry him and his family far
away from their home in Scotland. He had no idea that
when he returned, he would be a very rich man.

Andrew’s father was a handweaver and made fa bric by

hand. As factories with machines to make fabric opened
up, work for handweavers became scarce. The family
decided to emigrate to
America in 1848 in
search of new work
opportunities.

They settled in Pennsylvania. At this time, many children

could not afford to go to school for long, and few people
had books in their homes. At the age of 13, Andrew found
work as a bobbin boy in a cotton factory. He worked 12 -
hour days for the grand sum of $1.20 a week. It was one of
the hardest and lowest paid job s in the whole factory.

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 Level S Reader

The highlight of Andrew’s week became Saturday

afternoons. For a few hours each week, a local man named
Colonel James Anderson opened his library of 400 books to
working boys of the community. Each boy was allowed to
choose one book which they then took home for the week.
These library visits became Andrew’s pathway to learning
about the world. Throughout his life, he believed that
reading and learning was more important than money.

Andrew soon moved from bobbin boy to working as a

telegraph messenger boy for the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company. Using wires similar to telephone lines, telegraph s
sent messages written in Morse code, an alphabet of dots
and dashes. This job offered an
increase in pay, and he received
$2.50 per week.

The railroads were the first really big

businesses in America. As he worked
his way up in the company, Andrew
learned a lot about the world of
business. He memorized the locations
of all the Pittsburgh businesses and made many connections
among the men who owned them. He soon became a
superintendent for the railroad company and began
making a bigger salary.

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 Level S Reader

Rather than spending his money, Andrew began investing

his earnings. As an investor, he bought small parts of
different businesses. Many of those busin esses later became
quite valuable, and Andrew became wealthy.

Eventually, he started his own company, the Carnegie Steel

Company. The company owned the raw materials for
making steel, the ships and the railroad for transporting it
and the coal fields tha t provided fuel for the furnaces.
Before long, the Carnegie Steel Company became the
biggest steel company in America.

Through learning, saving, investing and hard work, Carnegie

became one of the richest people in America at a young
age. Despite his wealth, Andrew always drew only a modest
salary for himself.

Carnegie remembered
Colonel Anderson’s
kindness to the working
boys and wanted to give
people around the world
access to books and
education. In 1883, he built his very first free public library
in his Scottish hometown of Dunfermline. He went on to
build over 2,800 free public libraries around the world.

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 Level S Reader

In 1901, he sold his steel business for a huge amount of

money. At the age of 66, Andrew dedicated the rest of his
life to philanthropy. Philan thropy is the donation of money
to good causes in order to help people and make the world
a better place.

Carnegie grants were used for every thing from the

discovery of insulin to creating Sesame Street. Some of
Andrew’s more famous projects include buil ding Carnegie-
Mellon University in Pittsburgh and Carnegie Hall in New
York City. He funded countless projects relating to
education, peace and research in Africa. By the time he
died, Carnegie had given away over $70 billion dollars of
his wealth.

Carnegie remains not only one of the most successful

businessmen of all time, but, more importantly, one of the
greatest philanthropists of all time.

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 Level S Reader

Businessman and Philanthropist (exercises)

1. True or False

______________ a. Andrew Carnegie was born in the

United States.

______________ b. He believed reading and learning

were more important than money.

______________ c. His first job was at the Pennsylvania

Railroad Company.

______________ d. He graduated from university before

he started working.

______________ e. At the age of 66, he dedicated the

Rest of his life to playing video
games.

______________ f. He helped millions of people

Through his charitable giving.

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 Level S Reader

2. Write each word next to its meaning .

modest handweaver
philanthropy significant
telegraph

___________________ The desire to help others, often by

donating money to worthy causes .

___________________ A method of long-distance

communication that came before
the telephone.

___________________ Something that is very important.

___________________ An amount that is quite limited or

small.

___________________ Person who practices the art of

weaving wool or thread into fabric,
by hand.

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 Level S Reader

3. Pretend you had billions of dollars and you wanted to

use the money to help people. What would you do?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

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 Level S Reader

Businessman and Philanthropist (answers)

1. True or False

2. Write each word next to its meaning.

3. Answers will vary.

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 Level S Reader

innings competed intimidating

weight genuine deafening

Strike Out?

David’s stomach ached as they pulled into the parking lot

next to the baseball field. His teammates, the Sharks, were
warming up in front of their dugout. Maybe it was just
David’s imagination, but the players on the other team, the
Giants, looked like actual giants, taller and more
intimidating than the Sharks. David’s stomach churned
again.

His mom reached behind her seat to pat his leg. “Just
relax,” she said. “All that practice will pay off for you.”

Today, for the first time, David would

be pitching for the Sharks. After
supper over the past three months,
David had practiced pitching in
the backyard, his mom kneeling in
the grass with a catcher’s mitt until
the sky turned dark.

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 Level S Reader

After the team’s last practice, Coach Aaron had told David
that he would be the pitcher in the next game. At first,
David had been excited, but then he became
apprehensive. He did not want to be responsible for the
Sharks losing.

David joined his team on the field for a few warm -up drills.
Before he knew it, the game was starting, and David was
nervously standing on the pitcher’s mound, all alone.

The batter stood by home plate, knees bent, the bat high in
the air. David rubbed his fingers along the seam of the
baseball and took a deep breath, like Coach Aaron had
taught him. He wound up and threw a fastball over the
middle of the plate. The batter swung too late. Strike one.
David’s breathing steadied as he threw more
pitches. The fans in the stands cheer ed as he
struck out the first batter, the second one, and
then the third. The first inning was over.

As he walked to the dugout, David waved at

Tommy, a teammates little brother, who , as
usual, had his nose pressed into the fence
in front of the bleachers . Tommy never
missed a game.

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 Level S Reader

The first innings went by quickly. Each time a batter

connected with the ball, David’s heart raced. Every time a
teammate caught the fly ball or tagged out a runner before
they could get on base, David breathed a sigh of relief and
felt his confidence building.

In the fourth inning, the Sharks were ahead by one run. With
the bases loaded, David threw the ball as hard as he could,
but the crack of the bat seemed deafening as the batter
connected. David’s stomach sank as the ball rose higher
and higher in the sky, sailed beyond the reach of the left
fielder, and over the fence. Home run!

For the rest of the game David wished that

he had never decided to try pitching. He
hadn’t realized how tired his arm would get
and how many times a pitcher had to
throw the ball. Mostly, he felt very alone
up on the pitcher’s mound, and he was
convinced everyone would blame him for
the loss. Still, even with a sore arm, David
kept pitching hard. He didn’t want to let his
teammates down any more than he already
had.

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 Level S Reader

The game finally ended with the Giants winning

seven to four. David nodded as the other players
told him he had pitched well, but he didn’t
believe them. On the bench in the dugout, a
baseball-sized lump filled his throat.

“I’m proud of every one of you,” Coach

Aaron said. His eyes zeroed in on David. “We
competed hard until the very end. Sometimes
the other team just plays better.”

The rest of the team nodded, but David’s head

slumped as he waited for the meeting to end.
As he was packing up his stuff, Coach Aaron
called out to him, “Great pitching, David !”

David tried to smile back, but it came out like a grimace.

David hoped Coach would never ask him to pitch again. He
looked up as he heard someone calling his name.

“Hey, David!” called Tommy, waving both hands in the air.

David fiddled with the zipper on his gear bag. Most times,
he liked to joke around with Tommy after games, but today,
he just wanted to get home.

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 Level S Reader

“Do you think you could teach me how to pitch?” Tommy

asked. “I want to be a pitcher, like you. Your curve ball is
awesome.”

David saw Tommy looking up eagerly at him. Tommy’s

enthusiasm was obviously genuine. David’s body relaxed.
The game wasn’t a complete disaster. David’s fans, coach
and team weren’t blaming him. His curve balls had been
pretty good. Maybe he just needed to do some weight
training to make his arm stronger.

David leaned forward towards Tommy. “Tommy, I’ll tell you

a secret. Next time, we are absolutely going to crush the
Giants. I guarantee it.”

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 Level S Reader

Strike Out? (exercises)

1. Multiple Choice

Why is David nervous for his baseball game ?

a. His older brother is coming to watch.

b. It is his first time pitching in a game.
c. David’s team lost their last game.

What happens in the fourth inning of the game ?

a. A batter on the other team hits a home run.

b. David gets hit by the ball.
c. Everyone has a dance party .

What helps David feel better after the game ?

a. His Dad promises that he ’ll buy David a new glove .

b. Tommy asks David to teach him how to pitch .
c. David does not care about baseball, so he isn’t
upset after the game.

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 Level S Reader

2. Fill in the blanks below .

For months before the game David has been practicing

________________ in the backyard with his _________________.

David’s baseball team is named the ________________,

and they are playing against a team called the
________________.

David stands on the pitcher’s ________________ and tries

to ________________ ________________ the ________________
from the opposing team.

3. Coach Aron had told David to take a deep breath

before he pitched. Why?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

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 Level S Reader

4. What do you think will happen when the Sharks play

the Giants next time? Write a short story.

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

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 Level S Reader

Strike Out? (answers)

1. Multiple Choice

b. It is his first time pitching in a game.

a. A batter on the other team hits a homerun.
b. Tommy asks David to teach him how to pitch.

2. Fill in the blanks below.

For months before the game David has been practicing

pitching in the backyard with his Mom.

David’s baseball team is named the Sharks, and they

are playing against a team called the Giants.

David stands on the pitcher’s mound and tries to strike

out the batter from the opposing team.

3. Coach Aron had told David to take a deep breath

before he pitched. Why?

A deep breath helps people to relax when they are

nervous.

4. What do you think will happen when the Sharks play

the Giants next time? Write a short story.

Answers will vary.

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