Old Man of the Mountain

Old Man of the Mountain by Susan LaBella

ReadWorks.org · © 2014 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved. Old Man of the Mountain The Old Man of the Mountain was famous. People came from far away to visit him in New Hampshire. They knew that they could find him in Franconia Notch State Park.

This old man was not a human being, however. He was a rock formation on a mountainside! To many people, five huge granite rocks in the White Mountains looked like the side, or profile, of a man's face. Some people called him Great Stone Face.

The Old Man of the Mountain was discovered around 1805. For a very long time, Great Stone Face was one of the best-known places in New Hampshire. Then, sometime during the night of May 3, 2003, the rocks that made up the old man's face fell apart. Millions of years of rain, snow, and wind had worn away parts of the rocks. Finally, those rocks collapsed.

Great Stone Face was damaged. It no longer looked like a man's profile. Many people were sad that the Old Man of the Mountain would never be the same. But visitors can look north to a different rock formation. They can see what looks like the barrel of a cannon sticking out from a fortress.

Advanced Definition noun 1. the act or process of making, creating, or constructing.

2. the way in which something is formed.

a crystalline formation of rock

3. that which has been formed.

4. a particular arrangement, esp. of military troops.

The company marched in formation.

These are some examples of how the word or forms of the word are used:

1. The formation of the caves is a result of a fossilized reef that existed 250 to 280 million years ago in an inland sea that has long since disappeared. 2. Glaciers are large masses of ice that can be found in either the oceans or on land. These large bodies of frozen water have big effects on the formation of different parts of the world, especially valleys. Valleys were formed during the Ice Age, a time where many places were cold and covered with ice. As the Ice Age ended, the glaciers began to melt. As they did, they left behind unique land formations.

ReadWorks.org · © 2020 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved. Definitions and sample sentences within definitions are provided by Wordsmyth. © 2015 Wordsmyth. All rights reserved. ReadWorks Vocabulary - profile profile pro·file

Advanced Definition noun 1. an outline or view from the side, esp. of a human face and head.

2. a visual depiction of such an outline.

3. a written or visual representation or analysis of specified or salient characteristics of a person, group, pattern of behavior, or the like.

the company's sales profile

4. a brief or partial biography that describes only the most notable or most important facts.

transitive verb 1. to make a written or visual profile of.

These are some examples of how the word or forms of the word are used:

1. It no longer looked like a man's profile. 2. Due to Matthews's high profile during the contest, television stations have expressed interest in giving him his own show. 3. To many people, five huge granite rocks in the White Mountains looked like the side, or profile, of a man's face.

Definition verb 1. to have or carry on your body.

He likes to wear rings.

She is wearing a skirt.

2. to become damaged through long use.

The roof is beginning to wear.

Advanced Definition transitive verb 1. to have or carry on one's person as a covering or ornament.

He wears a suit to work everyday.

He wore a mustache when he was in college.

Her parents said she was too young to wear makeup.

She has a lot of jewelry that she has never worn.

2. to cause to erode or be damaged through prolonged use, friction, or exposure.

Constant crawling wore the knees of his jeans.

3. to create (a hole or other damage) by prolonged use, friction, or exposure.

She wore a hole in her sleeve.

4. to weaken; exhaust.

This child is wearing my patience.

5. to adopt, display, or alter one's appearance by.

Her face wore an attitude of complete confidence.

The detective wore a disguise.

Though she was grieving, she wore a smile.

intransitive verb 1. to deteriorate or sustain damage through prolonged use or friction.

The pipes are beginning to wear.

2. to become a specified way through prolonged use.

The roof is wearing thin.

3. to resist deterioration; last.

These tires will wear for years.

4. to pass slowly or tediously.

The days wore on as they waited for some good news.

noun 1. the act of wearing.

2. the condition of being worn.

3. use.

Our house has had a lot of wear.

4. clothing of a specified kind.

This part of the store is for women's wear.

5. damage or deterioration caused by prolonged use.

The coat had threadbare sleeves and other signs of wear.

6. the ability to resist deterioration through use; durability.

This fabric still has a lot of wear in it.

These are some examples of how the word or forms of the word are used:

1. Now people wear helmets, and bikes have reflectors on them. 2. They wear safety belts. People can turn the cars in different directions. 3. The acrobats wear very colorful costumes they make themselves. People love their

performances! 4. Many schools make students wear eye gear and use soft foam balls. Teachers make sure that students play dodgeball fairly. 5. Maybe she shouldn't wear the bow tie. But she also doesn't want to take it off in front of her dad. 6. Only the rich could wear them, and they were a status symbol. Special metal buttons were used to hide compasses during the World Wars. 7. Alyssa thinks a lot about what she wants to wear on the first day of school. Her mom and dad say first impressions are important, so Alyssa wants to look nice. 8. He would wear suits with thousands of white pearly buttons to attract attention towards the cause of local hospitals. He started a tradition of men and women wearing suits and dresses decorated with mother of pearl buttons.

Name: ______Date: ______1. What is another name for the Old Man of the Mountain?

A. White Mountain Face B. Great Mountain Man C. Great Stone Face

2. The text describes a sequence of events that happened to the Old Man of the Mountain. Which of these events happened first?

A. The Old Man of the Mountain collapsed. B. The Old Man of the Mountain became famous. C. The Old Man of the Mountain was discovered.

3. Read these sentences from the text.

"For a very long time, Great Stone Face was one of the best-known places in New Hampshire. Then, sometime during the night of May 3, 2003, the rocks that made up the old man's face fell apart. Millions of years of rain, snow, and wind had worn away parts of the rocks. Finally, those rocks collapsed."

What can you conclude about the rocks that made up the Great Stone Face based on this evidence?

A. The rocks were worn away quickly, but they fell apart slowly. B. The rocks were worn away bit by bit until they fell apart quickly. C. The rocks were worn away quickly and fell apart suddenly.

4. What most likely would have happened to the Old Man of the Mountain if it hadn't been touched by snow, wind, or rain for millions of years?

A. Its rocks would have grown bigger. B. Its rocks would have been totally worn away. C. Its rocks would not have collapsed.

5. What is the main idea of this text?

A. A famous rock formation on a mountain looked like the side of a man's face, but then the rocks collapsed. B. People come from far away to visit an old man who lives in the mountains of New Hampshire. C. Today, people visit the mountains in New Hampshire to see rocks that look like a cannon sticking out from a fortress.

6. Read these sentences from the text.

"Then, sometime during the night of May 3, 2003, the rocks that made up the old man's face fell apart. Millions of years of rain, snow, and wind had worn away parts of the rocks. Finally, those rocks collapsed."

What does the word "collapsed" mean here?

A. fell apart B. disappeared C. got stronger

7. Choose the answer that best completes this sentence.

The Old Man of the Mountain doesn't exist anymore _____ the rocks fell apart.

A. so B. but C. because

8. What did the rocks of the Old Man of the Mountain look like?

9. Why did the rocks that made up the Old Man of the Mountain collapse?

10. People who visit the mountains in New Hampshire can see a rock formation that looks like a cannon sticking out from a fortress. Is this cannon rock formation likely to stay the same forever? Why or why not? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.