5Th Grade ELA Home Learning Materials

Wicomico County Public Schools

Fifth grade

3rd – 5th grade ELA Home Learning Materials

April 5th – April 15th

SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF YOUR CHILD Many components of ELA (English Language Arts) provide a great opportunity to support the social and emotional well-being of your child during these uncertain times. Reading aloud to your child provides comfort in knowing you are there for them. Discussing books children are reading independently gives them the opportunity to ease their minds. Journaling is a great opportunity for children to express thoughts and feelings, which is greatly needed during this time. They are part of history. Handwritten, typed, in photographs or drawings… record events, day to day activities, fears and feelings.

EVIDENCE OF WORK In order to determine the pass/incomplete grade at the end of the 4th marking period, evidence of work must be submitted to the classroom teacher. Choose two activities listed in this packet each week to submit evidence to the teacher. Submissions are encouraged to be submitted through Class DoJo or email. Take a picture of the work or a picture of your child completing the work and send to the classroom teacher. If you are not able to submit using any of the methods described above, please hold onto all completed documents and return to the teacher when schools reopen.

ELA PROJECT An ELA Project is referenced throughout the weeks in the day to day activities. A full sheet is included in the packet explaining the choices for the project. This project can be counted as one of the weekly submissions to the teacher. It is not due until April 24th, but each week a picture or statement of their progress could count as one submission.

RESOURCES There are many digital resources that are referenced in the Home Learning Materials. All the resources are included under the Clever application. This allows students to sign in one time and have access to many resources. Please see the directions from your child’s classroom teacher on how to access Clever.

English Language Arts Grade 5 Narrative Directions: Work on the suggested activities each day. Choose two activities to submit to your teacher each week. You may submit your work in a variety of ways. You may type your work and attach in an email to your teacher, or you may take a picture of your work and send it through Class Dojo. Your teacher will work with you if you need another suggestion for ways to submit your work.

Monday, April 6, 2020 1. Read or have someone read to you the passage “from The Bread Winner”.

2. Answer Questions #1a – 4b.

3. Log on to Flocabulary.com – Click Vocabulary, click “Word Up Indigo” (grade 5), click “I’ve Got My Flocab”. Complete tasks on the left-hand side of the screen (video, vocab cards, vocab game, read & respond, quiz, lyric lab). If you don’t have internet access, you can complete the Flocabulary packet.

4. Select ONE item from the ELA Project Sheet to complete between now and April 24th. You can work on this project a little bit each day, or whenever it is convenient between now and the due date.

Tuesday, April 7, 2020 1. Read or have someone read to you an independent book of your choice. You may choose to read a book that you have at home, or from the online resources located on Clever, or you can also use the Wicomico County Free Library to download a book. Go to www.wicomicolibraries.org and use WCPS and your lunch number. Example: WCPS47865. If you don’t have internet access, you can choose from the packet of passages and articles.

2. Work on your selected ELA Project.

Wednesday, April 8, 2020 1. Re-read or have someone re-read to you the passage “from The Bread Winner”

2. After re-reading the passage “from The Bread Winner”, answer the Narrative Writing Prompt.

4. Work on your selected ELA Project.

Thursday, April 9, 2020 1. Read or have someone read to you an independent book of your choice. You may choose to read a book that you have at home, or from the online resources located on Clever, or you can also use the Wicomico County Free Library to download a book. Go to www.wicomicolibraries.org and use WCPS and your lunch number. Example: WCPS47865. If you don’t have internet access, you can choose from the packet of passages and articles.

2. Work on your selected ELA Project.

Friday, April 10, 2020

SPRING BREAK!

Monday, April 13, 2020

SPRING BREAK!

Tuesday, April 14, 2020 1. Read or have someone read to you the passage “from Lost and Found in the Black Hole”.

2. Answer questions 1a-4b

4. Work on your selected ELA Project.

Wednesday, April 15, 2020 1. Re-read or have someone re-read to you the passage “from Lost and Found in the Black Hole”

2. After re-reading the passage “from Lost and Found in the Black Hole”, answer the Narrative Writing Prompt.

4. Work on your selected ELA Project.

5th Grade ELA Project April 6-24th

Select one of the projects below to complete over the next three weeks from April 6—24th.

• Log on to Imagine Learning and choose 3 lessons and activities to complete.

• Choose a novel or book that both you and your friend(s) will read. Stop and jot your thoughts on Post-its while reading. With your parent or guardian present, Facetime or Zoom your friends to discuss the novel throughout.

• Complete 6 boxes on the 5th grade Reading Responses sheet.

• Log on to ReadWorks or NewsELA and select 2-3 different articles to read about the same topic. Compare and contrast the information from the articles. Write 1-2 paragraphs summarizing your new learning on the topic.

• Complete an author study by reading two novels by the same author. Compare and contrast the books considering the following: Is there a common theme or message in both books? Does the author use the same or similar characters? Is the setting similar or different? Do you notice anything about how the author writes that is similar or different between the books?

5th Grade Reading Responses Select a book of your choice – you can read a book that you already have at home, or feel free to access books through Epic, Bookflix, or another online version of the reading text that you have access to at home.

After reading, pick a reading response journal idea found below. Once you have completed that journal response, you can cross it off or color in the box. Pick 6 boxes to complete.

FICTION TEXT Place yourself in the shoes of one of the Based upon a book characters you have just you have just read, read about and write a What does the author Write a book review for share a story about diary entry of a key repeat again and your book. Tell what yourself that is related moment from the story. again in the story? you like or didn’t like to an event or Try to choose a moment Why is this important to about the book. character that was in in the story in which the the story? the book. character has plenty of interaction and emotion to share in a diary entry.

Compare two Describe the theme or Choose your favorite characters from the After reading, think central message of chapter of the book. story. Think about their about what might the story. Use Create a comic strip feelings, actions, happen next for the evidence from the of the events in this sayings, and thoughts. character and write story to support your chapter. How are they alike the next chapter. thinking. and different?

NONFICTION/INFORMATIONAL TEXT Write an opinion about What text features did the article. What are the the author include to What was the author’s issues present in the text What is the main idea help you understand the and how do you feel purpose for writing this of the text? Tell 3 information? Give an about these issues? How text? Explain your supporting details. example of 3 features does the author feel and how they helped thinking. about the issues? Do you you. agree with the author? Why or why not?

Write down at least two What were some new pieces of List 4 new vocabulary numbers & stats What is something that information that you words from your included in the text? learned. Write why these reading(s). Use each of surprised you while Why did the author were important pieces of the vocabulary words in reading? Why did you use those numbers? information. Who would a sentence based on the find it surprising? benefit from this meaning from the text. How do they help you information? as the reader?

Your goal is to complete 6 total responses of your choice ☺

Read the passage from The Bread Winner. Then answer the questions. from The Bread Winner

by Arvella Whitmore

1 “Ma’am,” he said, “I have a big table in my truck here. I thought since you folks were in the baking business, you might want it. It’s been in our basement a long time and we don’t need it.” 2 “That’s ever so nice of you,” said Mama. “I’d be happy to take it, but I’ll have to ask my husband and daughter what they think.” Sarah followed the man outside while Mama went to get Daddy, who was kneading dough in the back. The table was lying on its side, and it was huge. It must be seven or eight feet long and at least four feet wide, thought Sarah. Strong looking, too, with its thick, swirled oak legs. They’d have to keep it in the front of the store since there wouldn’t be room in back. But it would be just right for kneading dough. The tables they owned were too small. 3 Sarah smiled as Daddy came out, wiping his hands on his apron. A week ago you couldn’t have paid him to step out on Main Street in an apron. Sarah guessed he’d been so busy he forgot. 4 “What do you think?” asked Sarah. “It would be perfect for kneading dough and shaping loaves.” 5 “It looks good to me,” said Mama. 6 Daddy shook his head. “I don’t know. We don’t have room for it in the back.” 7 “But we could put it in front,” said Sarah. “Those tables in back are too small.” 8 Daddy frowned. “In front o’ the big windows?” 9 “Why not?” Mama said. “I don’t care if people watch me make bread.” She winked at Sarah behind Daddy’s back. Though Daddy had never said a word about it, they both knew that he would rather people didn’t see him work with dough. It was silly, thought Sarah, and the sooner he got over it, the better. 10 “Please, Daddy,” Sarah cried, “let’s take the table. Besides, the front of the store looks bare, and when the shop is open we can use the table as a counter.” 11 Daddy nodded to the man and grinned. “Seems I’m outnumbered. Guess we’ll take it. Mighty thoughtful of you. Here, let me give you a hand.” 12 The two men placed the big dusty table in the front part of the store, in full view of the large show windows. With brushes and soapy water, Sarah and Mama scrubbed it down to its pale oak finish. Then they spread flour on top. Sarah took some of Daddy’s dough from the back, brought it out to the big table, and started kneading it. 13 Soon a small crowd gathered in the street outside the window to watch her. When Daddy came out from behind the privacy curtain, Sarah expected him to duck behind it,but he didn’t. When he saw all the people out there, he grinned and waved. Leaning over the table, he scrawled a message on a brown paper sack: OPEN AT NOON. He clipped it to the red-checked window curtain with a clothespin, then disappeared into the back of the store. A few seconds later he came out again with a big pan and set it down on the table between himself and Sarah. He grabbed some dough and started kneading it. Sarah couldn’t believe her eyes!

14 “You were right,” Daddy said. “We needed this table.” Once in a while he looked up and waved at the crowd on the street. “Pretty good advertising, wouldn’t you say?” he asked. 15 “The best,” said Sarah. 16 “Yep,” said Daddy, “nobody’s gonna say our bread isn’t homemade. No sirree.” 17 Mama looked on and smiled. A minute later she brought out a pan of dough and started making cinnamon rolls. “When we get settled in,” she said, “I might try my hand at cakes and pies. Just a few at first, to see how they go. I used to be good at it.” 18 “That would be wonderful,” said Sarah. 19 “What do you think we oughta call our bakery?” asked Daddy. “Every business oughta have a name.” 20 “Gee, I don’t know,” said Sarah. “I never thought about it.” 21 “I have an idea,” he said. “After all, Sarah, you won that blue ribbon at the fair a while back.” He glanced across the table at Mama. “If it wasn’t for our champ here, we might have ended up in the poorhouse. I think we oughta call it the Blue Ribbon Bakery.” 22 Sarah grinned. Daddy must be proud of her to suggest that name. But to her, it didn’t seem quite right. 23 “That’s nice, Daddy,” she said. “But I think we ought to call it Pucketts’ Blue Ribbon Bakery. It’s a family business now.”

1. Part A

What does paragraph 11 reveal about the characters?

A The characters have different opinions about the table. B The characters had a disagreement about starting a bakery. C The characters agree on a name for their new bakery. D The characters think working together is a good idea.

Part B

Which word from paragraph 11 supports the answer to Part A?

A. nodded B. grinned C. outnumbered D. thoughtful

2.Part A What is a theme of the passage?

A If you are willing to change, good things may happen. B Hard work pays off in many ways. C People can find friendship in the most unexpected places. D Opportunities are everywhere; you just need to take advantage of them.

Part B

Which paragraph from the passage supports this theme?

A paragraph 1 B paragraph 12 C paragraph 13 D paragraph 16

3. Part A What does the narrator’s point of view reveal about Sarah?

A She is proud of winning a blue ribbon at the fair. B She wants her Mama to start baking desserts again. C She is worried about her father’s actions toward the man in the truck. D She is confident and willing to take a risk with the business.

Part B

Which evidence from the passage supports the answer to Part A?

A “ ‘Ma’am,’ he said, ‘I have a big table in my truck here. I thought since you folks were in the baking business, you might want it. It’s been in our basement a long time and we don’t need it.’ ” (paragraph 1) B “ ‘Please, Daddy,’ Sarah cried, ‘let’s take the table. Besides, the front of the store looks bare, and when the shop is open we can use the table as a counter.’ ” (paragraph 10) C “ ‘I have an idea,’ he said. ‘After all, Sarah, you won that blue ribbon at the fair a while back.’ He glanced across the table at Mama. ‘If it wasn’t for our champ here, we might have ended up in the poorhouse.’ ” (paragraph 21) D “ ‘That’s nice, Daddy,’ she said. ‘But I think we ought to call it Pucketts’ Blue Ribbon Bakery. It’s a family business now.’ ” (paragraph 23)

4. Part A

Compare Sarah’s and Daddy’s reactions to the offer of the table. Select two quotations that show their different reactions.

A “It must be seven or eight feet long and at least four feet wide, thought Sarah. Strong looking, too, with its thick, swirled oak legs. They’d have to keep it in the front of the store since there wouldn’t be room in back. But it would be just right for kneading dough. The tables they owned were too small.” (paragraph 2) B “Sarah smiled as Daddy came out, wiping his hands on his apron. A week ago you couldn’t have paid him to step out on Main Street in an apron. Sarah guessed he’d been so busy he forgot.” (paragraph 3) C “Daddy shook his head. ‘I don’t know. We don’t have room for it in the back.’ ” (paragraph 6) D “Though Daddy had never said a word about it, they both knew that he would rather people didn’t see him work with dough.” (paragraph 9) E “Daddy nodded to the man and grinned. ‘Seems I’m outnumbered. Guess we’ll take it. Mighty thoughtful of you. Here, let me give you a hand.’ ” (paragraph 11) F “ ‘Gee, I don’t know,’ said Sarah. ‘I never thought about it.’ ” (paragraph 20)

Part B

Why do Sarah and Daddy have different reactions to the offer of the table?

A Sarah does not mind if people see her through the windows working, but Daddy does not want people to see him. B Daddy thinks they do not need another table, but Sarah thinks they do because the tables that they have are too small. C Sarah thinks the table will be perfect in the store because the table is big and strong, but Daddy thinks the table is too old and dirty to put in the store. D Daddy thinks the table will be useful as a counter because the store looks bare, but Sarah thinks the table is too big to put in the store.

Narrative Writing Prompt Write a journal entry about the day the table arrived from the point of view of either Sarah, Daddy, or Mama. Use details from the story to describe how the table was used, the emotional effect the table had on the family member chosen, and thoughts about how the table will affect business in the future.

Today you will read a passage from "Lost and Found in the Black Hole." As you read, pay close attention to the point of view of the characters as you answer the questions to prepareto write a narrative story.

Read the passage from "Lost and Found in the Black Hole." Then answer the questions.

from "Lost and Found in the Black Hole" by J. Louis Messina 1 Darin sped across the schoolyard, holding onto his possessions with a whirlwind of hands, from head to back to chest to legs to feet and back up again.

2 Screeching to a halt, he checked his belongings. He'd lost three things already. He glanced suspiciously around him.

3 Was a black hole following him?

4 "All matter tliat comes within a certain distance of a black hole will be trapped forever," his teacher had said. "Even light, the fastest phenomenon known to exist."

5 At recess, he retraced his steps on foot, then on hands and knees, going over the same ground so often that he'd worn down his pants legs. But he'd come up empty.

6 Only one thing left to do, he thought: visit the Lost & Found ...again.

7 Through the long, dreary room he plodded, the sound of his footsteps echoing down the gloomy hall. Mr. Grabber, the crusty guardian of the Lost & Found Department, sat behind the desk, watching Darin's arrival with dour eyes.

8 "You don't really expect to find your stuff here?" Mr. Grabber grunted.

9 Darin peered over the counter into the vast array of lost and forgotten items.

10 "There's always a first time."

11 "Once an item goes into the last box, it's destroyed."

12 "But I've lost them today. They might be in the first one."

13 Mr. Grabber waved him over. Darin knelt and rummaged through the box.

14 "Trouble is," Mr. Grabber said, "no one puts any importance into a sweater, or lunchbox, or even a pair of glasses. These things are lost forever because nobody cares."

15 "They're not here. At this rate, I'll be paying $30 a week, easy. I need help."

16 "No kidding," Mr. Grabber said.

17 "I need you guys to keep me from losing things," Darin told his best friends; Carlton and Elvin. "Can you follow me around?" 18 "No way!" said Carlton.

19 "Get lost," Elvin said sarcastically.

20 "I'll pay $5 a week, each."

21 "We're in!" said Carlton and Elvin.

22 "Good," Darin said. "Cause I just lost my socks, and I need them back before I get home. They have my name on them."

23 Elvin and Carlton scrambled across the yard, searching in every trash bin, behind every building, until Elvin found one sock behind the batting cage, and Carlton found one 15 yards away under the drinking fountain.

24 "Here," Carlton said, wiping sweat from his brow.

25 "I want a raise," Elvin wheezed, holding out the stinky sock.

26 On Tuesday, Carlton and Elvin rescued six items. Wednesday they found seven; Thursday, nine. Although the lost items were rising like a flood, by Friday, it looked as if Darin was home free. But he hadn't counted on losing one very important thing.

27, It happened while walking home.

28 The sky darkened as Darin, daydreaming about his recent success, floundered down the sidewalk, while Carlton and Elvin scanned the ground, like eager bloodhounds on a scent.

29 Darin, way ahead of his friends, turned blithely onto an unfamiliar street. He wandered down the block; gradually, he looked up, and realized he'd gone the wrong way. He turned. Carlton and Elvin were nowhere in sight.

30 "Guys?" he said, then shouted, "Hey, guys!"

31 For a moment he only stood, looking far down the road. He began to walk, then- run, and slowed and stopped at the end of the block. He didn't recognize this place, either. Houses on either side, like insurmountable mountains, obscured his view.

32 His heart pounded; he spun around, trying to find his bearings, and took off in one direction, stopped, and tried another, circled a block and arrived at the same spot where he'd started.

33 "Lost," he croaked.

34 The dark, bleak clouds obliterated the sun. He felt as if he were falling through the black hole, toward the center, past event horizon. If he didn't find his way out soon, he'd be torn apart!

35 Don't panic, he thought. Stop and think. He'd been too careless, and now he'd lost himself.

36 Suddenly, he knew what he had to do: stay put, and remember where he'd been. Scrutinizing the area, he summoned his memory. Was he really lost, or simply misplaced? As he stood looking about, he realized he was in front of Elvin's house, only several blocks away from home. He'd simply missed his turn.

37 "There you are!" Carlton shouted. "We found you!"

38 Darin marched onward as Carlton and Elvin, keeping an eye on the ground, followed him back to his house.

39 "We're very proud of you, Darin," Dad said.

40 "You haven't lost anything for weeks!" Mom marveled.

41 Darin hadn't mislaid so much as a paper clip now that he cared about his things. And he had volunteered at the Lost & Found to help Mr. Grabber sort the lost items, even finding their owners.

"Lost and Found in the Black Hole" by J. Louis Messina from BOYS' LIFE, February 2012 by J. Louis Messina. Used by permission of the author.

1. Part A What does the simile rising like a flood mean as it is used in paragraph 26?

A. The lost items were quickly disappearing. B. The number of lost items was steadily increasing. C. The boys found one of the lost items under the drinking fountain. D. The boys were stacking the lost items into a pile as they located them.

Part B Which quotation from the story helps the reader understand the meaning of the simile in Part A? A. “Screeching to a halt, he checked his belongings.” (paragraph 2) B. “. . . Elvin found one sock behind the batting cage, and Carlton found one 15 yards away under the drinking fountain.” (paragraph 23) C. “Wednesday they found seven; Thursday, nine.” (paragraph 26) D. “The sky darkened as Darin, daydreaming about his recent success, floundered down the sidewalk....” (paragraph 28)

2. Part A How do Darin and Mr. Grabber differ in the story?

A. Darin is angry about losing his items, but Mr. Grabber is pleasant. B. Darin can take care of himself, but Mr. Grabber needs help. C. Darin hopes to find his items in the Lost & Found, but Mr. Grabber is doubtful. D. Darin enjoys spending

Part B Which two details from the story support how Darin and Mr. Grabber differ? Choose one detail that supports Darin and one detail that supports Mr. Grabber.

A. “Mr. Grabber, the crusty guardian of the Lost & Found Department, sat behind the desk, watching Darin’s arrival with dour eyes.” B. “‘There’s always a first time.’” C. “‘Once an item goes into the last box, it’s destroyed.’” D. “‘No kidding,’ . . .” E. “‘I need you guys to keep me from losing things,’ . . .” F. “And he had volunteered at the Lost & Found to help Mr. Grabber sort the lost items, even finding their owners.”

3. Part A How does getting lost affect Darin differently than losing his belongings?

A. When Darin gets lost, he feels confident rather than fearful. B. When Darin gets lost, he panics rather than responding to the situation calmly. C. When Darin gets lost, he finds his own way rather than depending on other people. D. When Darin gets lost, he blames Elvin and Carlton rather than blaming himself.

Part B Which quotation from the passage supports the answer in Part A?

A. “The sky darkened as Darin, daydreaming about his recent success, floundered down the sidewalk, while Carlton and Elvin scanned the ground, like eager bloodhounds on a scent.” (paragraph 28) B. “Suddenly, he knew what he had to do: stay put, and remember where he’d been.” (paragraph 36) C. “Darin marched onward as Carlton and Elvin, keeping an eye on the ground, followed him back to his house.” (paragraph 38) D. “Darin hadn’t mislaid so much as a paper clip now that he cared about his things.” (paragraph 41)

4. Part A What is a theme in the passage?

A. Setting a good example is important. B. Problem solving requires calm thinking. C. Spending time with friends is rewarding. D. Achieving a goal requires practice.

Part B Which paragraph from the passage illustrates the theme selected in Part A?

A. paragraph 29 B. paragraph 31 C. paragraph 32 D. paragraph 36

Narrative Prompt In the passage from “Lost and Found in the Black Hole,” Darin is always losing his things and depends on his friends Elvin and Carlton to find them. Retell the passage from Elvin’s point of view using details of the events in the passage.

Unit 10 – I’ve Got My Flocab

antagonist / antonym / character / homonym / narrator / prefix / protagonist / suffix / synonym / translate

10 A. Introduction

People learn words for lots of reasons: to do well in school, to write better, to be able to tell better stories. Knowing more words is also more fun. Think of it this way: If you wanted to paint a giant picture and you only had five colors to paint with, how much fun would you have? Now imagine you can paint the same picture, only now you have 5,000 colors to choose from. Which one would be more fun? Knowing words is like that. Just ask any poet or any rapper.

10 B. Song Lyrics

You’ve got your Flocab? I’ve got my Flocab! I’m all over these words and you know that! We-we-we step it up; we don’t roll back! Another Flocab track and it’s so phat! (x2)

A master with words, I’m Shakespeare or Biggie, Get A’s on my tests; don’t ever try to diss me. I’m too clever with it, I’m too clever with it, Listen to my rhymes with a shovel—can you dig it? They should translate these lines into Spanish, Just so my friends in the south could understand it. Yo, I’m tough, when it comes to words, I’m a nerd, Learning every single word I can find, Just to throw in my rhymes, throw in my stories, To keep in my mind; too few words bore me. “This is why I’m hot.” This is why I’m hot? You need to prove it with words, or you’re not. I’m big and I’m large; yes, those are synonyms, Words that mean the same thing, like nutmeg and cinnamon… Wait, that’s not right; those are two different spices, I mean synonym like “cuts” and “slices.” Antonyms mean the opposite, you know, Like “first” and “last” or “fast” and “slow.”

So is “finger” the antonym of “toe”? That’s a good question; ask a doctor, I don’t know. Listen to my “band,”

They only play songs that are “banned” on the radio. If you’re confused? Take it slow. Those are homonyms or homophones. That’s words that sound the same, But their meanings don’t match.

Hook

So a prefix starts a word and changes what it means, The prefix in the word prefix is “pre-,” Which means “before,” like in previously, Or preview, or pre-game. Ha, now you see, dudes? The suffix is the sound at the end, Like -er means a person who does. So a trapper traps, and a rapper raps, But it’s hard because a master does not “mast.” I’ll tell you a tale about this girl named Laurie, I’m the narrator, the one who tells the story. Laurie is the main character or hero, The protagonist; are all of y’all grabbing this? The antagonist is Laurie’s enemy, Who tries to stop her from getting anything. Laurie is a character with character, A person with bravery, You want to know what happens? Better read up and wait and see.

Hook

The Word Up Project: Level Indigo

Unit 10 10 C. Words Defined antagonist / antonym / character / homonym / narrator / prefix / protagonist / suffix / synonym / translate antagonist

(noun) A person who struggles against or competes with another; the enemy of the protagonist. The evil witch is the antagonist of Sleeping Beauty. antonym

(noun) A word having the opposite or nearly opposite meaning of another word. “Awake” and “tired” are antonyms. character

(noun) 1. A person, usually in a work of art. My favorite character in the Harry Potter stories is Harry’s friend Ron. 2. Qualities of honesty, courage, and goodness. It takes character to stand up and stop your friend from doing something wrong. homonym

(noun) A word pronounced the same as another but having a different meaning, whether spelled the same way or not; also known as a homophone or homograph. “There” and “their” are homonyms. narrator

(noun) The person who tells a story. In The Jungle Book, the narrator seems to know everything that happens in the jungle, even the thoughts of the animals. Other forms: Kris narrated (verb) while Aaron held up pictures. prefix

(noun) A part of a word placed at the front of a word to create new meaning. The prefix of the words producer and professor is pro-.

protagonist

(noun) The lead character or hero in a work of art. Dorothy is the protagonist in The Wizard of Oz; there are hardly any scenes without her. suffix

(noun) A part of a word placed at the end of a word to create new meaning. The suffix of the words nation and station is -tion. synonym

(noun) A word having the same or nearly the same meaning as another word. “Sleepy” and “tired” are synonyms.

translate

(verb) To change from one language to another. I translated the song into Japanese for my friend Haro. Other forms: Since I don’t understand Spanish, I read the book’s English translation (noun).

10 D. Synonyms Circle the word on the right that matches the meaning of the word or phrase on the left. antagonist / antonym / character / homonym / narrator / prefix / protagonist / suffix / synonym / translate 1. bare and bear antagonist narrator homonym character antagonist 2. the hero character protagonist antagonist homonym antagonist character narrator 3. the enemy of the protagonist

4. the person who tells a story

The Word Up Project: Level Indigo

10 F. Connections Each sentence has a strong connection with one of the words from the unit. Write the correct word on the line below. antagonist / antonym / character / homonym / narrator / prefix / protagonist / suffix / synonym / translate

1. I couldn’t remember if the correct word was to, too, or two.

______

2. The person who tells the story in the book Catcher in the Rye is named Holden Caulfield.

______

3. The word leap means the same thing as the word jump.

______

4. The book was originally in French, but it has been rewritten in English.

______

5. The Joker is the guy who fights Batman in the movies and comic books.

______

The Word Up Project: Level Indigo Unit 10

Name: Date:

10 G. Applying Meanings Circle the letter that makes sense or answers the question. antagonist / antonym / character / homonym / narrator / prefix / protagonist / suffix / synonym / translate

1. What is an antonym of “day”?

(A) night (B) morning (C) three o’clock (D) week

2. The prefix of the word untouchable is (A) un(B) touch (C) -able (D) - le

3. What word has the same suffix as “amazing”? (A) maze (B) amazed (C) exciting (D) ample

4. If someone you knew had a lot of character, you would probably (A) not understand that person (B) be afraid of that person (C) dislike that person (D) trust that person

5. Who or what is the protagonist of a story? (A) the person who tells the story (B) the main character in the story (C) the setting of the story (D) the plot of the story

The Word Up Project: Level Indigo Unit 10

Name: Date:

10 H. Reading Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow. antagonist / antonym / character / homonym / narrator / prefix / protagonist / suffix / synonym / translate

Library Treasure

Grace and Jun walked hurriedly into the local library. The librarian turned and stared at them over her glasses. Grace grabbed Jun’s arm. “Slow down,” she whispered. “We don’t want to attract any attention.” They had come to the library after Grace found a mysterious letter in her gym locker. The letter described a treasure that could be found at the library. In their rush to get to the library, they had overlooked one important fact—the author hadn’t said where in the library the treasure would be found. It could be practically anywhere. Grace and Jun sat down at the nearest table. Grace pulled out the letter and looked at it carefully. It read: At the local library, there is an interesting book filled with fascinating characters. Find the protagonist of this book and unscramble each letter of her name. When you are all done, synonyms will lead you to the treasure. “Look at the spacing here,” Grace said. “Why did the author write this letter on four lines like this?” “I’ve got it!” Jun said. “If you look at the first letter of each line, it spells ‘ACES’! I bet that’s the name of the book we’re looking for!” The two friends rushed to the computer. Sure enough, there was a book called Aces located in the fiction section. They went and found the book on the shelf. Grace turned the book over and read the description: “Narrated in vivid detail, this is the story of a young woman named Terry Pescitoric…” Jun and Grace raced to a table and started unscrambling the name. After a long time, they finally came up with the words crypt and escritoire. “The note says that synonyms will lead us to the treasure,” Grace said. “I know that a synonym for ‘crypt’ is ‘basement.’ But what the heck is an escritoire?” “That’s easy,” Jun said. “My grandparents are French and they taught me a lot of French words. That word translates to ‘desk.’” “The basement desk!” Grace said excitedly. “Quick, down to the basement!” They ran down the stairs to the library’s basement. Facing them at the bottom of the stairs was an old- fashioned desk. On top of the desk was a letter. Grace picked the letter up and read it out loud. It said: Congratulations! You figured out the clues, and now you’ve found the treasure! The treasure is the gift of having an adventure with a good friend. We hope you enjoyed it!

Jun and Grace stared at the letter for a long time. Finally, Jun broke the silence. “No offense,” he said, “but I was really expecting money.” “I would’ve settled for a candy bar,” Grace responded.

The Word Up Project: Level Indigo Unit 10

Name: Date:

1. Why does Grace tell Jun to slow down?

______

2. How did they know to go to the library?

______

3. Based on information in the passage, who is the protagonist of the book Aces?

______

4. How did Jun know what the word escritoire meant?

______

5. Why are Grace and Jun disappointed at the end?

______

The Word Up Project: Level Indigo Unit 10

Name: Date:

10 I. Thinking Creatively Answer each question below. Don’t be afraid to think creatively. antagonist / antonym / character / homonym / narrator / prefix / protagonist / suffix / synonym / translate

1. The Electric Mayhem is a superhero who can shoot electricity out of her hands. Who would be her antagonist, and what would that person’s power be?

______

2. Write a two-sentence story told by a monkey narrator.

______

3. Who would be the characters in a book about your life?

______

4. Invent a word that is a homonym for “orange,” then make up a definition for that word.

______

5. An alien lands in your yard and says, “Flodder bop bee flapperty blanderhoof.” What might that sentence translate into?

______

The Word Up Project: Level Indigo Unit 10

Name: Date:

Bonus: Crossword Puzzle Solve this crossword puzzle. Note: Some answers may be different forms of the vocab words from this unit. antagonist / antonym / character / homonym / narrator / prefix / protagonist / suffix / synonym / translate

1 2 3

6 7

ACROSS

4 The ______of the word display is dis-. 6 One ______for the word sporty is "athletic." 8 Spider-Man is the ______of the Spider-Man comic books. 9 A person who struggles against or competes with another. 10 "Bonjour" in French ______into "hello" in English.

DOWN

1 There are so many ______in this book I keep getting them confused. 2 An ______for the word beautiful is the word ugly. 3 The words mayor and doctor have the same ______. 5 "Sea" and "see" are ______. 7 The person who tells a story.

The Word Up Project: Level Indigo

Optional Independent Reading Passages

27 Grade 5

Tokyo Summer Olympics postponed until 2021 due to coronavirus By Associated Press, adapted by Newsela staff on 03.25.20 Word Count 631 Level 840L

The Olympic rings in front of the New National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, on March 24, 2020. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has agreed "100 percent" to a proposal of postponing the Tokyo Olympics for about one year until 2021 because of the coronavirus outbreak, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on March 24. Photo: Jae C. Hong/AP Photo

On March 24, the Tokyo Olympics that were going to take place this summer were delayed until 2021. The announcement ended weeks of guessing about whether the games would go ahead as scheduled. Concern over the coronavirus pandemic fueled the decision. Coronavirus is a flu-like illness. It began in China and has been spreading across the globe since December 2019. Health officials have been encouraging social distancing. This means staying home and staying away from other people to help slow the spread of the virus. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued the statement. The group consulted with the Japanese prime minister and local organizers.

28 Grade 5

Prime Minister Abe Recommended Postponement The IOC said the games will be held no later than summer 2021. They will still be called the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The statement said the decision was based on information from the World Health Organization (WHO). Also, there were conversations between IOC President Thomas Bach and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The IOC said that rescheduling Tokyo Olympics was necessary. They want "to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community." Before the announcement, Abe proposed a one-year postponement, and Bach agreed. "President Bach said he will agree '100 percent.' We agreed to hold the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in the summer of 2021 at the latest," Abe said. He added that next year's games would be "proof of a victory by human beings against the coronavirus infections." IOC Wanted To Go Ahead With The Games On March 22, Bach said a decision on the games would be made in the next month. However, pressure on the organization grew. National federations and sports governing bodies spoke out against having the opening ceremony as planned on July 24. Athletes voiced their concerns as well. Four-time Olympic hockey champion Hayley Wickenheiser was the first athlete to speak out. She objected to Bach's position that the games should go ahead as planned. Wickenheiser publicly criticized the IOC. After the announcement to delay the games, she posted on social media site Twitter. She wrote that the decision was the "message athletes deserved to hear." "To all the athletes: take a breath, regroup, take care of yourself and your families. Your time will come," she wrote. The decision to delay came only a few hours after local organizers said the torch relay would start as planned on March 26. It was expected to start in the northeastern Fukushima region of Japan. There was to be no torch, no torchbearers and no public. Those plans also changed. "The flame will be stored and displayed in Fukushima," said Yoshiro Mori. He is president of the organizing committee. "A Beacon Of Hope To The World" The Olympics have never before been postponed. They have only ever previously been canceled in wartime. Organizers will now have to keep things running for another year. They will need to make sure venues are kept up-to- date. "A lot can happen in one year. We have to think about what we have to do," said Toshiro Muto, a member of the organizing committee. "The decision came upon us all of a sudden." The IOC and Tokyo organizers said they hope the decision to delay will be helpful. They hope this change will help the world heal from the pandemic. The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could be an inspiration. The games could be "a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times. The Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel," the IOC statement said. "Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020."

29 Grade 5

The five best board games to play in coronavirus quarantine By USA Today, adapted by Newsela staff on 03.20.20 Word Count 628 Level 850L

In the days before coronavirus, a group of friends got together to play Catan. Now, families find themselves playing board games to pass the time as they stay at home because of the deadly virus. Photo: Valentin Gorbunov. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

It seems like we may be staying home for a while. The coronavirus continues to spread across the globe. The coronavirus is a flu-like illness that began in China. It has been spreading around the world since December 2019. To help slow down the spread of the virus many schools and workplaces are closing down. People are being told to work and attend school from home. Social distancing is when you stay away from other groups of people to prevent the spread of an illness. Kids are staying home from school and parents are working from home. Keeping ourselves entertained from our living rooms will become a necessity. There are plenty of things to do at home, like watching heartwarming TV or doing exercise. However, board games are the perfect activity to involve the whole family.

30 Grade 5

Clue and Life are the more common board games. However, there is an amazing world of other board games out there. You may already own some of them. Others you could responsibly buy to keep yourselves busy during these difficult times. We just recommend you stay away from Pandemic the game, which is about the spread of disease. It is normally very fun, but probably isn't the best choice right now. If You Want Something To Play With The Kids: Telestrations Telestrations is like a combination of the whisper game Telephone and Pictionary. Players draw a word and pass their sketch to the player next to them. The second player writes down the word they think the first player drew. Then, the third player draws the word the second player guessed. The game continues this way until the final drawing or description comes out wildly different than what everybody started with. If You Want Something Cute, Quick And Wordy: Bananagrams If Scrabble isn't interesting to you, this fruit-themed word-building game is a great alternative. Everyone tries to use small letter tiles to build word grids faster than everyone else. The tiles come in a fabric banana. The game never disappoints. If You Are Dipping Your Toes Into Complex Board Games: Catan Catan is a slightly more involved game than Risk or Monopoly. The game was previously known as Settlers of Catan or Settlers, and became very popular with board game fans and others. Players become "settlers" who have to build individual settlements while trading resources. The bigger your settlement, the more points you get. The first player to reach a set number of points wins. The game also has many expansions available if you get bored with the original. If You Love Fantasy TV And Film: Lords Of Waterdeep This board game is from the makers of Dungeons & Dragons. It is definitely more complex, but it is one of the most rewarding games once you understand all the rules. Waterdeep is a beautifully designed fantasy "worker placement game." Players use agents to gather resources to complete quests. Players earn victory points when they complete a quest. Whoever has the most victory points at the end of the game wins. If You Like Strategy Games But Not A Fantasy Aesthetic: Ticket To Ride Fantasy and science fiction games aren't for everyone. Even though it seems like most strategy games are swords and sorcery-themed, there are plenty that aren't. Ticket to Ride is an easy-tounderstand game about trains. Players earn trains by collecting cards of the same color. They then use those trains to create train routes across a map of the United States. Players win more points by having bigger train routes. They can also win points by building the routes shown on the secret ticket cards you draw at the beginning of the game. The game also has expansion packs with extra maps to choose from.

31 Grade 5

"Black Beauty": Chapter 3 - My Breaking In By Anna Sewell on 03.02.20 Word Count 1,525 Level MAX

Photo: Zamkniete W Migawce/Shutterstock

Editor's Note: "Black Beauty" is a novel by Anna Sewell. It was first published in 1877. The book is written from the viewpoint of a horse. Human characteristics are attributed to the titular Black Beauty. This is a practice known as anthropomorphism. "Black Beauty" recounts the horse's life from youth to retirement, detailing the good and bad he saw along the way. The book was very popular and increased public interest in animal welfare and anti-cruelty legislation.

I was now beginning to grow handsome; my coat had grown fine and soft, and was bright black. I had one white foot and a pretty white star on my forehead. I was thought very handsome; my master would not sell me till I was four years old; he said lads ought not to work like men, and colts ought not to work like horses till they were quite grown up. When I was four years old Squire Gordon came to look at me. He examined my eyes, my mouth, and my legs; he felt them all down; and then I had to walk and trot and gallop before him. He seemed to like me, and said, "When he has been well broken in he will do very well." My master said he would break me in himself, as he should not like me to be frightened or hurt, and he lost no time about it, for the next day he began.

32 Grade 5

Every one may not know what breaking in is, therefore I will describe it. It means to teach a horse to wear a saddle and bridle, and to carry on his back a man, woman or child; to go just the way they wish, and to go quietly. Besides this he has to learn to wear a collar, a crupper, and a breeching, and to stand still while they are put on; then to have a cart or a chaise fixed behind, so that he cannot walk or trot without dragging it after him; and he must go fast or slow, just as his driver wishes. He must never start at what he sees, nor speak to other horses, nor bite, nor kick, nor have any will of his own; but always do his master's will, even though he may be very tired or hungry; but the worst of all is, when his harness is once on, he may neither jump for joy nor lie down for weariness. So you see this breaking in is a great thing. I had of course long been used to a halter and a headstall, and to be led about in the fields and lanes quietly, but now I was to have a bit and bridle; my master gave me some oats as usual, and after a good deal of coaxing he got the bit into my mouth, and the bridle fixed, but it was a nasty thing! Those who have never had a bit in their mouths cannot think how bad it feels; a great piece of cold hard steel as thick as a man's finger to be pushed into one's mouth, between one's teeth, and over one's tongue, with the ends coming out at the corner of your mouth, and held fast there by straps over your head, under your throat, round your nose, and under your chin; so that no way in the world can you get rid of the nasty hard thing; it is very bad! yes, very bad! at least I thought so; but I knew my mother always wore one when she went out, and all horses did when they were grown up; and so, what with the nice oats, and what with my master's pats, kind words, and gentle ways, I got to wear my bit and bridle. Next came the saddle, but that was not half so bad; my master put it on my back very gently, while old Daniel held my head; he then made the girths fast under my body, patting and talking to me all the time; then I had a few oats, then a little leading about; and this he did every day till I began to look for the oats and the saddle. At length, one morning, my master got on my back and rode me round the meadow on the soft grass. It certainly did feel queer; but I must say I felt rather proud to carry my master, and as he continued to ride me a little every day I soon became accustomed to it. The next unpleasant business was putting on the iron shoes; that too was very hard at first. My master went with me to the smith's forge, to see that I was not hurt or got any fright. The blacksmith took my feet in his hand, one after the other, and cut away some of the hoof. It did not pain me, so I stood still on three legs till he had done them all. Then he took a piece of iron the shape of my foot, and clapped it on, and drove some nails through the shoe quite into my hoof, so that the shoe was firmly on. My feet felt very stiff and heavy, but in time I got used to it. And now having got so far, my master went on to break me to harness; there were more new things to wear. First, a stiff heavy collar just on my neck, and a bridle with great side-pieces against my eyes called blinkers, and blinkers indeed they were, for I could not see on either side, but only straight in front of me; next, there was a small saddle with a nasty stiff strap that went right under my tail; that was the crupper. I hated the crupper; to have my long tail doubled up and poked through that strap was almost as bad as the bit. I never felt more like kicking, but of course I could not kick such a good master, and so in time I got used to everything, and could do my work as well as my mother. I must not forget to mention one part of my training, which I have always considered a very great advantage. My master sent me for a fortnight to a neighboring farmer's, who had a meadow which was skirted on one side by the railway. Here were some sheep and cows, and I was turned in among them. I shall never forget the first train that ran by. I was feeding quietly near the pales which separated the meadow from the railway, when I heard a strange sound at a distance, and before I knew whence it came—with a rush and a clatter, and a puffing out of smoke—a long black train of something flew by, and was gone almost before I could draw my breath. I turned and galloped to the further side of the meadow as fast as I could go, and there I stood snorting with astonishment and fear. In the course of the day many other trains went by, some more slowly; these drew up at the station close by, and sometimes made an awful shriek and groan before they stopped. I thought it very dreadful, but the cows went on eating very quietly, and hardly raised their heads as the black frightful thing came puffing and grinding past. For the first few days I could not feed in peace; but as I found that this terrible creature never came into the field, or did me any harm, I began to disregard it, and very soon I cared as little about the passing of a train as the cows and sheep did. Since then I have seen many horses much alarmed and restive at the sight or sound of a steam engine; but thanks to my good master's care, I am as fearless at railway stations as in my own stable. Now if any one wants to break in a young horse well, that is the way. My master often drove me in double harness with my mother, because she was steady and could teach me how to go better than a strange horse. She told me the better I behaved the better I should be treated, and that it was wisest 33 Grade 5 always to do my best to please my master; "but," said she, "there are a great many kinds of men; there are good thoughtful men like our master, that any horse may be proud to serve; and there are bad, cruel men, who never ought to have a horse or dog to call their own. Besides, there are a great many foolish men, vain, ignorant, and careless, who never trouble themselves to think; these spoil more horses than all, just for want of sense; they don't mean it, but they do it for all that. I hope you will fall into good hands; but a horse never knows who may buy him, or who may drive him; it is all a chance for us; but still I say, do your best wherever it is, and keep up your good name."

34 Grade 5

Hermia’s Shell By Bish Denham, Cricket Media on 03.26.20 Word Count 859 Level MAX

There, being gently washed by the lapping waves, was a beautiful apple murex. Illustrations: Ponder Goembel

Hermia the hermit crab wanted a new shell. Her old black-and-white whelk was getting a bit tight. "I want a special shell," she said to her friend Henry. "I want a shell that's pink inside and creamy outside with chocolate- brown stripes. When we get to the beach," Hermia added, "I'm not going to settle for just any old black-and-white whelk. I want a shell that says something about me." Henry grunted as he rolled down the side of the hill.

When they arrived at the beach, thousands of hermit crabs were swapping news — and shells. Hermia passed up many shells that would have fit her just right. "That one has a chip on the lip," she said to Henry. "And see how this one's been faded by the sun? Just look at that one, it's all worn along the bottom. I wouldn't live in it if it were the last shell on the beach!" One by one, all the hermit crabs left the beach, returning to their homes high in the hills. Even Henry had long since said goodbye. When she was about to give up, Hermia found it. There, being gently washed by the lapping waves, was a beautiful apple murex. It was pink inside and creamy outside with chocolate-brown stripes. When she tried it on, it was much too

35 Grade 5 big. It flopped and wobbled so badly, she kept falling over onto her back. Then she had to wiggle her legs madly to right herself. Hermia knew she'd never make it back into the hills, so she decided to live by the beach. It was a long, lonely year. By the time the hermit crabs returned the next summer, Hermia had finally grown into her new shell. "See my new shell?" she said to every crab that came her way. "See my beautiful apple murex? It's pink inside and creamy outside with chocolate-brown stripes. I had to spend the whole year all by myself because it was too big. But now I've grown into it, so I can go back into the hills with you." Hermia found Henry and traveled with him.

"I'm so excited about my new shell," she said. "I want to show it to everyone. Have you noticed its lovely ridges and how gracefully it spirals to a perfect, unbroken tip?" Henry groaned as he fell into a hole and struggled to climb out. All Hermia could talk about was her shell. The other hermit crabs started to avoid her and began to talk about her behind her shell. Even Henry got tired of her. "Hermia," he said, "if you say one more thing about that shell, I'm going to find another hill to live on." "But it's so unique!" she exclaimed. "I think you're jealous." Henry shook his feelers and crawled away. Hermia crawled off in the opposite direction. "I'll just find new friends who will appreciate me," she said. When she met new hermit crabs, they soon got bored with her, too. "They'd steal my shell if they could," she said to herself. In time, Hermia began to feel her shell getting tight. At first, she ignored the pain where her soft abdomen curled into the tip of the murex. By the time of the summer migration, Hermia was moving very slowly. Still, when she got to the beach, all she could talk about was her shell. None of the crabs wanted to hear it. "You're all jealous!" Hermia replied, limping away angrily. "You're just waiting for me to swap it so you can fight over it!" Hermia was in so much pain, she could barely move. She knew it was time to find a new home. But all she found was a black-and-white-striped whelk shell. "How common," she thought. But she knew she had to make the move. Hermia tried to get out of her shell. She pulled and pulled, but she was stuck. And oh! It hurt so much, she could hardly stand it. Finally, there was a little sucking noise and a pop! Hermia tumbled out of her beautiful apple murex. The pink inside had turned a dull gray. The creamy outside with the chocolate-brown stripes had faded to white. The fine ridges and lip were chipped and cracked. The very tip of the spiral was broken off. The bottom was worn smooth. In horror, Hermia realized she'd been dragging around and bragging about a very worn and battered shell. Hermia slipped into the whelk. Its smooth mother-of-pearl interior was cool and soothing to her poor, pinched abdomen.

36 Grade 5

When she returned to the hills, no one recognized her. When they found out who she was, they were surprised. Even Henry began to talk to her again, because now they could have real conversations about things that mattered. "Henry, I've made a decision," said Hermia. "Next summer I'm going to help the younger crabs find good homes." "I can hear it already," Henry said. "'If the shell fits, wear it!'" Hermia laughed. It felt good.

37 Grade 5

Opinion: Being kind might take a bit of work, but it is worth it By Arthur C. Brooks, Washington Post, adapted by Newsela staff on 11.25.19 Word Count 812 Level 700L

When it comes to kindness, entertainer Ellen DeGeneres (pictured) has this to say: "When I say, 'Be kind to one another,' I don't mean only the people that think the same way that you do. I mean be kind to everyone." Photo: Ron Jenkins/AP

As politics creates more divisions in the country, a lot has been lost. The latest victim is kindness. Ellen DeGeneres is a television talk show host. Recently she was caught on video at a Dallas Cowboys football game. She was yukking it up with former President George W. Bush. They were obviously having a great time together. DeGeneres is a progressive. In politics, progressives believe in making social and political reforms, or changes, to help people in need. DeGeneres is also well-known activist for LGBTQ rights. LGBTQ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer. As an activist, she works to protect the rights of people who are LGBTQ. Bush is a conservative Republican. Conservatives have a more traditional belief system than progressives. Many conservatives tend to be members of the Republican Party. On social media, people were upset by DeGeneres' actions. Many people criticized her for, essentially, having too much fun with the enemy. In response, she defended their friendship on her talk show.

38 Grade 5

DeGeneres finished with this statement: "When I say, 'Be kind to one another,' I don't mean only the people that think the same way that you do. I mean be kind to everyone." Wanted: More Brave Friendships Some applauded this, saying we need more brave friendships in our troubled political times. Personally, I did not think the friendship was such a miracle. I dare anybody to spend time with our 43rd president and not like him personally. I strongly suspect the same could be said about DeGeneres. Amazingly, however, many denounced her statement as foolish and perhaps even dangerous. They argue that when DeGeneres puts kindness above political activism, she will not be as effective. Is that right? Wrong. DeGeneres is more powerful and effective as a leader exactly because of her kindness. She not only improves the world, but she is also able to persuade others with her kindness. Don't believe it? In 2015, researchers at Georgetown University and the Grenoble School of Management in France looked into this subject. They asked the question: "Being nice may bring you friends, but does it help or harm you in your career?" Kindness Topped The Study To find out, they examined the effect of being nice and civil in the workplace. They focused on three specific areas. Are nice people asked for advice? Are they seen as leaders? Do they perform well in their job? Those who practiced kindness came out ahead in all three categories. And it wasn't just their supervisors who thought so. The employees actually performed better because they were nice. Kindness helped employees communicate and work well together. But there is more. The researchers came to another conclusion. Instead of hurting themselves by seeming weak, behaving respectfully gave them influence. "Civility appears to be very valuable," the researchers said. People warm up to them, which is important for forming a relationship. It also sends a signal that they are able to lead. In other words: Ellen - 1, Critics - 0. You Can Disagree And Still Be Kind Former President Barack Obama clearly thinks like Ellen DeGeneres. In October, Obama spoke at the funeral of Congressman Elijah E. Cummings. He was a Democratic politician from Maryland who had recently died. Obama said he tells his daughters, "Being a strong man includes being kind. That there's nothing weak about kindness and compassion." I met Obama only once. We disagreed very strongly on how to end poverty, but he was kind and generous to me. There are many Democratic candidates competing to become the next U.S. president. They might want to listen to Obama's words. They should not put down people and ideas with whom they disagree. Politicians on both sides should listen to each other. A Republican member of Congress recently told me that he feels torn. To stay in office, he has to say harsh and unkind things, even though he wants to be friendly and tolerant. If he doesn't, fellow Republicans would call him a sellout and weak. I understood his problem. I reject the idea, though, that one must be a jerk to win. A leader can be both kind and effective. Self-Control And Maturity Are Important Is it difficult to be kind to people we disagree with? Of course it is. It takes self-control and maturity, like anything else that is worthwhile. It means we have to act like the people we want to be, not however we feel like. It means seeing ourselves in others and actively practicing gratitude. It takes commitment and practice. With it, though, we can become kinder people, admired leaders and a force for good in a troubled world.

Albert Brooks is a Washington Post columnist. He teaches public leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is a senior fellow at the Harvard Business School. He wrote the bestseller "Love Your Enemies."

39 Grade 5

Persephone: An Ancient Greek story By Angela McAllister/The Quarto Group on 10.01.19 Word Count 648 Level MAX

Illustration by Christopher Corr/The Quarto Group

Mighty Zeus was the king of the Gods. He lived at the top of a mountain called Olympus, where he watched over all the gods and goddesses and the lives of the people below. His brother, Hades, was the king of the Underworld, the god of the deep, dark earth and everything in it. Zeus and Hades had a sister named Demeter, who walked the surface of the Earth giving life to plants and trees. She was the goddess of the Harvest, producing fruit and vegetables and grain to feed the people of the world. One day, Hades felt lonely, living by himself in his silent kingdom. He went to ask his brother, Zeus, how to find a wife. "Demeter has a beautiful daughter called Persephone," Zeus said. "She would brighten your dark days, but you'll have to steal her away from her mother." Hades secretly watched Persephone and fell in love with her sparkling eyes and cheerful laughter. But he also saw that she was the happiest dancing through the meadows with Demeter. So, he waited until she was picking flowers alone one morning and commanded the Earth to split open in

40 Grade 5 a great chasm. Then he leaped into his chariot and up, out of the chasm he rode. Before Persephone realized what was happening, Hades swept her into his arms and carried her back down to the Underworld. At once, the chasm closed behind them and all that was left were Persephone's flowers, lying in the grass. Demeter searched for her daughter, calling her name over and over, but she was nowhere to be found. Days passed and Persephone did not return. Demeter grew desperately sad. Nothing thrived, nothing blossomed or bore fruit while she wandered the world, looking for her beloved daughter. Meanwhile, down in the Underworld, Hades tried to win Persephone's heart. He decorated a chamber with glistening gemstones, collected from the rocks of the Earth, and gold and silver, mined beneath the mountains, but she only wanted to return to her mother above. Demeter lost all joy without Persephone. Plants withered, crops failed and the Earth became barren. Zeus saw that the people of the world were hungry and feared they would soon be blaming him for their fate. He sent his messenger, Hermes, to visit Hades and ask him to let Persephone return to her mother. Hades did not dare to disobey his powerful brother, Zeus. But before he let Persephone leave, he offered her a token of his love – a scarlet pomegranate. Persephone suddenly felt sorry for Hades, living alone in his sunless kingdom. "After all," she thought, "it cannot be wrong to wish for happiness." Before Hermes could stop her, she ate four pomegranate seeds. Then Hades smiled. "Now we shall be together forever, Persephone!" he said. To her dismay, Hermes explained that anyone who eats in the Underworld must return there. When Persephone was reunited with her mother there was much joy and celebration, but it was tinged with sadness at the news of the pomegranate seeds. Demeter went to plead with Zeus. "Don't send my daughter away forever," she cried. Zeus frowned thoughtfully. He took pity on his sister. "For each seed that Persephone ate in the Underworld, she shall spend one month with Hades, who loves her dearly," he said. "But for the rest of the year, she shall return to you." And so it was and has been ever since. Each year, in the spring and summer months, Demeter and Persephone dance and laugh together, bringing life and growth to the world; wherever they pass, plants burst into leaf, flowers blossom, fruit ripens and grain swells to fill the granaries. But in the autumn, Persephone returns to Hades, in the Underworld, and Demeter mourns for her daughter. Then the leaves fall, plants die and the winter earth lies cold and bare.

41 Grade 5

The Most Dangerous Game By Richard Connell on 12.10.19 Word Count 8,075 Level MAX

“The world is made up of two classes - the hunters and the huntees.” Photo by Geran de Klerk on Unsplash

"Off there to the right — somewhere — is a large island," said Whitney. "It's rather a mystery —" "What island is it?" Rainsford asked. "The old charts call it 'Ship-Trap Island,'" Whitney replied. "A suggestive name, isn't it? Sailors have a curious dread of the place. I don't know why. Some superstition —" "Can't see it," remarked Rainsford, trying to peer through the dank tropical night that was palpable as it pressed its thick warm blackness in upon the yacht. "You've good eyes," Whitney said with a laugh, "and I've seen you pick off a moose moving in the brown fall bush at four hundred yards, but even you can't see four miles or so through a moonless Caribbean night." "Nor four yards," admitted Rainsford. "Ugh! It's like moist black velvet." "It will be light enough in Rio," Whitney promised. "We should make it in a few days. I hope the jaguar guns have come from Purdey's. We should have some good hunting up the Amazon. Great sport, hunting." "The best sport in the world," agreed Rainsford. "For the hunter," amended Whitney. "Not for the jaguar." "Don't talk rot, Whitney," said Rainsford. "You're a big-game hunter, not a philosopher. Who cares how a jaguar feels?" 42 Grade 5

"Perhaps the jaguar does," observed Whitney. "Bah! They've no understanding." "Even so, I rather think they understand one thing — fear. The fear of pain and the fear of death." "Nonsense," Rainsford laughed. "This hot weather is making you soft, Whitney. Be a realist. The world is made up of two classes — the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are hunters. Do you think we've passed that island yet?" "I can't tell in the dark. I hope so." "Why?" asked Rainsford. "The place has a reputation — a bad one." "Cannibals?" suggested Rainsford. "Hardly. Even cannibals wouldn't live in such a God-forsaken place. But it's gotten into sailor lore, somehow. Didn't you notice that the crew's nerves seemed a bit jumpy today?" "They were a bit strange, now you mention it. Even Captain Nielsen —" "Yes, even that tough-minded old Swede, who'd go up to the devil himself and ask him for a light. Those fishy blue eyes held a look I never saw there before. All I could get out of him was 'This place has an evil name among seafaring men, sir.' Then he said to me, very gravely, 'Don't you feel anything?'— as if the air about us was actually poisonous. Now, you mustn't laugh when I tell you this — I did feel something like a sudden chill. "There was no breeze. The sea was as flat as a plate-glass window. We were drawing near the island then. What I felt was a — a — mental chill; a sort of sudden dread." "Pure imagination," Rainsford said. "One superstitious sailor can taint the whole ship's company with his fear." "Maybe. But sometimes I think sailors have an extra sense that tells them when they are in danger. Sometimes I think evil is a tangible thing — with wavelengths, just as sound and light have. An evil place can, so to speak, broadcast vibrations of evil. Anyhow, I'm glad we're getting out of this zone. Well, I think I'll turn in now, Rainsford." "I'm not sleepy," Rainsford said. "I'm going to smoke another pipe up on the afterdeck." "Good night, then, Rainsford. See you at breakfast." "Right. Good night, Whitney." "The sensuous drowsiness of the night was on him" There was no sound in the night as Rainsford sat there but the muffled throb of the engine that drove the yacht swiftly through the darkness, and the swish and ripple of the wash of the propeller. Rainsford, reclining in a steamer chair, indolently puffed on his favorite brier. The sensuous drowsiness of the night was on him. "It's so dark," he thought, "that I could sleep without closing my eyes; the night would be my eyelids —" An abrupt sound startled him. Off to the right, he heard it, and his ears, expert in such matters, could not be mistaken. Again he heard the sound, and again. Somewhere, off in the blackness, someone had fired a gun three times. Rainsford sprang up and moved quickly to the rail, mystified. He strained his eyes in the direction from which the reports had come, but it was like trying to see through a blanket. He leaped upon the rail and balanced himself there, to get greater elevation; his pipe, striking a rope, was knocked from his mouth. He lunged for it; a short, hoarse cry came from his lips as he realized he had reached too far and had lost his balance. The cry was pinched off short as the blood-warm waters of the Caribbean Sea dosed over his head. He struggled up to the surface and tried to cry out, but the wash from the speeding yacht slapped him in the face and the saltwater in his open mouth made him gag and strangle. Desperately he struck out with strong strokes after the receding lights of the yacht, but he stopped before he had swum 50 feet. A certain cool-headedness had come to him; it was not the first time he had been in a tight place. There was a chance that his cries could be heard by someone aboard the yacht, but that chance was slender and grew more slender as the yacht raced on. He wrestled himself out of his clothes and shouted with all his power. The lights of the yacht became faint and ever-vanishing fireflies; then they were blotted out entirely by the night. Rainsford remembered the shots. They had come from the right, and doggedly he swam in that direction, swimming with slow, deliberate strokes, conserving his strength. For a seemingly endless time, he fought the sea. He began to count his strokes; he could do possibly a hundred more and then — Rainsford heard a sound. It came out of the darkness, a high screaming sound, the sound of an animal in an extremity of anguish and terror.

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He did not recognize the animal that made the sound; he did not try to; with fresh vitality, he swam toward the sound. He heard it again; then it was cut short by another noise, crisp, staccato. "Pistol shot," muttered Rainsford, swimming on. Ten minutes of determined effort brought another sound to his ears — the most welcome he had ever heard — the muttering and growling of the sea breaking on a rocky shore. He was almost on the rocks before he saw them; on a night less calm he would have been shattered against them. With his remaining strength, he dragged himself from the swirling waters. Jagged crags appeared to jut up into the opaqueness; he forced himself upward, hand over hand. Gasping, his hands raw, he reached a flat place at the top. Dense jungle came down to the very edge of the cliffs. What perils that tangle of trees and underbrush might hold for him did not concern Rainsford just then. All he knew was that he was safe from his enemy, the sea, and that utter weariness was on him. He flung himself down at the jungle edge and tumbled headlong into the deepest sleep of his life. "Sleep had given him new vigor" When he opened his eyes he knew from the position of the sun that it was late in the afternoon. Sleep had given him new vigor; a sharp hunger was picking at him. He looked about him, almost cheerfully. "Where there are pistol shots, there are men. Where there are men, there is food," he thought. But what kind of men, he wondered, in so forbidding a place? An unbroken front of snarled and ragged jungle fringed the shore. He saw no sign of a trail through the closely knit web of weeds and trees; it was easier to go along the shore, and Rainsford floundered along by the water. Not far from where he landed, he stopped. Some wounded thing — by the evidence, a large animal — had thrashed about in the underbrush; the jungle weeds were crushed down and the moss was lacerated; one patch of weeds was stained crimson. A small, glittering object not far away caught Rainsford's eye and he picked it up. It was an empty cartridge. "A 22," he remarked. "That's odd. It must have been a fairly large animal too. The hunter had his nerve with him to tackle it with a light gun. It's clear that the brute put up a fight. I suppose the first three shots I heard was when the hunter flushed his quarry and wounded it. The last shot was when he trailed it here and finished it." He examined the ground closely and found what he had hoped to find—the print of hunting boots. They pointed along the cliff in the direction he had been going. Eagerly he hurried along, now slipping on a rotten log or a loose stone, but making headway; night was beginning to settle down on the island. Bleak darkness was blacking out the sea and jungle when Rainsford sighted the lights. He came upon them as he turned a crook in the coastline; and his first thought was that he had come upon a village, for there were many lights. But as he forged along he saw to his great astonishment that all the lights were in one enormous building—a lofty structure with pointed towers plunging upward into the gloom. His eyes made out the shadowy outlines of a palatial chateau; it was set on a high bluff, and on three sides of it cliffs dived down to where the sea licked greedy lips in the shadows. "Mirage," Rainsford thought. But it was no mirage, he found, when he opened the tall spiked iron gate. The stone steps were real enough; the massive door with a leering gargoyle for a knocker was real enough, yet above it all hung an air of unreality. He lifted the knocker, and it creaked up stiffly as if it had never before been used. He let it fall, and it startled him with its booming loudness. He thought he heard steps within; the door remained closed. Again Rainsford lifted the heavy knocker, and let it fall. The door opened then — opened as suddenly as if it were on a spring — and Rainsford stood blinking in the river of glaring gold light that poured out. The first thing Rainsford's eyes discerned was the largest man Rainsford had ever seen — a gigantic creature, solidly made and black-bearded to the waist. In his hand, the man held a long-barreled revolver, and he was pointing it straight at Rainsford's heart. Out of the snarl of beard, two small eyes regarded Rainsford. "Don't be alarmed," said Rainsford, with a smile, which he hoped was disarming. "I'm no robber. I fell off a yacht. My name is Sanger Rainsford of New York City." The menacing look in the eyes did not change. The revolver pointed as rigidly as if the giant were a statue. He gave no sign that he understood Rainsford's words, or that he had even heard them. He was dressed in uniform — a black uniform trimmed with gray astrakhan. "I'm Sanger Rainsford of New York," Rainsford began again. "I fell off a yacht. I am hungry."

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The man's only answer was to raise with his thumb the hammer of his revolver. Then Rainsford saw the man's free hand go to his forehead in a military salute, and he saw him click his heels together and stand at attention. Another man was coming down the broad marble steps, an erect, slender man in evening clothes. He advanced to Rainsford and held out his hand. In a cultivated voice marked by a slight accent that gave it added precision and deliberateness, he said, "It is a very great pleasure and honor to welcome Mr. Sanger Rainsford, the celebrated hunter, to my home." Automatically Rainsford shook the man's hand. "I've read your book about hunting snow leopards in Tibet, you see," the man explained. "I am General Zaroff." Rainsford's first impression was that the man was singularly handsome; his second was that there was an original, almost bizarre quality about the general's face. He was a tall man past middle age, for his hair was a vivid white; but his thick eyebrows and pointed military mustache were as black as the night from which Rainsford had come. His eyes, too, were black and very bright. He had high cheekbones, a sharp-cut nose, a spare, dark face— the face of a man used to giving orders, the face of an aristocrat. Turning to the giant in uniform, the general made a sign. The giant put away his pistol, saluted, withdrew. "Ivan is an incredibly strong fellow," remarked the general, "but he has the misfortune to be deaf and dumb. A simple fellow, but, I'm afraid, like all his race, a bit of a savage." "Is he Russian?" "He is a Cossack," the general said, and his smile showed red lips and pointed teeth. "So am I." "Come," he said, "We shouldn't be chatting here. We can talk later. Now you want clothes, food, rest. You shall have them. This is a most-restful spot." Ivan had reappeared, and the general spoke to him with lips that moved but gave forth no sound. "Follow Ivan, if you please, Mr. Rainsford," the general said. "I was about to have my dinner when you came. I'll wait for you. You'll find that my clothes will fit you, I think." It was to a huge, beam-ceilinged bedroom with a canopied bed big enough for six men that Rainsford followed the silent giant. Ivan laid out an evening suit, and Rainsford, as he put it on, noticed that it came from a London tailor who ordinarily cut and sewed for none below the rank of duke. The dining room to which Ivan conducted him was in many ways remarkable. There was a medieval magnificence about it; it suggested a baronial hall of feudal times with its oaken panels, its high ceiling, its vast refectory tables where two- score men could sit down to eat. About the hall were mounted heads of many animals — lions, tigers, elephants, moose, bears; larger or more perfect specimens Rainsford had never seen. At the great table, the general was sitting, alone. "You'll have a cocktail, Mr. Rainsford," he suggested. The cocktail was surpassingly good; and, Rainsford noted, the table appointments were of the finest — the linen, the crystal, the silver, the china. They were eating borscht, the rich, red soup with whipped cream so dear to Russian palates. Half apologetically General Zaroff said, "We do our best to preserve the amenities of civilization here. Please forgive any lapses. We are well off the beaten track, you know. Do you think the champagne has suffered from its long ocean trip?" "Not in the least," declared Rainsford. He was finding the general a most thoughtful and affable host, a true cosmopolite. But there was one small trait of the general's that made Rainsford uncomfortable. Whenever he looked up from his plate he found the general studying him, appraising him narrowly. "Perhaps," said General Zaroff, "you were surprised that I recognized your name. You see, I read all books on hunting published in English, French and Russian. I have but one passion in my life, Mr. Rainsford, and it is the hunt." "You have some wonderful heads here," Rainsford said as he ate a particularly well-cooked filet mignon. "That Cape buffalo is the largest I ever saw." "Oh, that fellow. Yes, he was a monster." "Did he charge you?" "Hurled me against a tree," said the general. "Fractured my skull. But I got the brute." "I've always thought," Rainsford said, "that the Cape buffalo is the most dangerous of all big game." For a moment the general did not reply; he was smiling his curious red-lipped smile. Then he said slowly, "No. You are wrong, sir. The Cape buffalo is not the most dangerous big game." He sipped his wine. "Here in my preserve on this island," he said in the same slow tone, "I hunt more dangerous game." Rainsford expressed his surprise. "Is there big game on this island?" The general nodded. "The biggest." 45 Grade 5

"Really?" "Oh, it isn't here naturally, of course. I have to stock the island." "What have you imported, general?" Rainsford asked. "Tigers?" The general smiled. "No," he said. "Hunting tigers ceased to interest me some years ago. I exhausted their possibilities, you see. No thrill left in tigers, no real danger. I live for danger, Mr. Rainsford." The general took from his pocket a gold cigarette case and offered his guest a long black cigarette with a silver tip; it was perfumed and gave off a smell like incense. "We will have some capital hunting, you and I," the general said. "I shall be most glad to have your society." "But what game—" began Rainsford. "I'll tell you," said the general. "You will be amused, I know. I think I may say, in all modesty, that I have done a rare thing. I have invented a new sensation. May I pour you another glass of port? "Thank you, general." "My whole life has been one prolonged hunt" The general filled both glasses, and said, "God makes some men poets. Some, he makes kings, some beggars. Me, he made a hunter. My hand was made for the trigger, my father said. He was a very rich man with a quarter of a million acres in the Crimea, and he was an ardent sportsman. When I was only 5 years old he gave me a little gun, specially made in Moscow for me, to shoot sparrows with. When I shot some of his prize turkeys with it, he did not punish me; he complimented me on my marksmanship. I killed my first bear in the Caucasus when I was 10. My whole life has been one prolonged hunt. I went into the army — it was expected of noblemen's sons — and for a time commanded a division of Cossack cavalry, but my real interest was always the hunt. I have hunted every kind of game in every land. It would be impossible for me to tell you how many animals I have killed." The general puffed at his cigarette. "After the debacle in Russia, I left the country, for it was imprudent for an officer of the czar to stay there. Many noble Russians lost everything. I, luckily, had invested heavily in American securities, so I shall never have to open a tea room in Monte Carlo or drive a taxi in Paris. Naturally, I continued to hunt — grizzlies in your Rockies, crocodiles in the Ganges, rhinoceroses in East Africa. It was in Africa that the Cape buffalo hit me and laid me up for six months. As soon as I recovered I started for the Amazon to hunt jaguars, for I had heard they were unusually cunning. They weren't." The Cossack sighed. "They were no match at all for a hunter with his wits about him and a high-powered rifle. I was bitterly disappointed. I was lying in my tent with a splitting headache one night when a terrible thought pushed its way into my mind. Hunting was beginning to bore me! And hunting, remember, had been my life. I have heard that in America businessmen often go to pieces when they give up the business that has been their life." "Yes, that's so," Rainsford said. The general smiled. "I had no wish to go to pieces," he said. "I must do something. Now, mine is an analytical mind, Mr. Rainsford. Doubtless that is why I enjoy the problems of the chase." "No doubt, General Zaroff." "So," the general continued, "I asked myself why the hunt no longer fascinated me. You are much younger than I am, Mr. Rainsford, and have not hunted as much, but you perhaps can guess the answer." "What was it?" "Simply this: hunting had ceased to be what you call 'a sporting proposition.' It had become too easy. I always got my quarry. Always. There is no greater bore than perfection." The general lit a fresh cigarette. "No animal had a chance with me anymore. That is no boast; it is a mathematical certainty. The animal had nothing but his legs and his instinct. Instinct is no match for reason. When I thought of this it was a tragic moment for me, I can tell you." Rainsford leaned across the table, absorbed in what his host was saying. "It came to me as an inspiration what I must do," the general went on. "And that was?"

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The general smiled the quiet smile of one who has faced an obstacle and surmounted it with success. "I had to invent a new animal to hunt," he said. "A new animal? You're joking." "Not at all," said the general. "I never joke about hunting. I needed a new animal. I found one. So I bought this island built this house, and here I do my hunting. The island is perfect for my purposes — there are jungles with a maze of trails in them, hills, swamps —" "But the animal, General Zaroff?" "Oh," said the general, "it supplies me with the most exciting hunting in the world. No other hunting compares with it for an instant. Every day I hunt, and I never grow bored now, for I have a quarry with which I can match my wits." Rainsford's bewilderment showed in his face. "I wanted the ideal animal to hunt," the general explained. "So I said, 'What are the attributes of an ideal quarry?' And the answer was, of course, 'It must have courage, cunning, and, above all, it must be able to reason.'" "But no animal can reason," objected Rainsford. "My dear fellow," said the general, "there is one that can." "But you can't mean —" gasped Rainsford. "And why not?" "I can't believe you are serious, General Zaroff. This is a grisly joke." "Why should I not be serious? I am speaking of hunting." "Hunting? Great God, General Zaroff, what you speak of is murder." The general laughed with entire good nature. He regarded Rainsford quizzically. "I refuse to believe that so modern and civilized a young man as you seem to be harbors romantic ideas about the value of human life. Surely your experiences in the war —" He stopped. "Did not make me condone cold-blooded murder," Rainsford finished stiffly. Laughter shook the general. "How extraordinarily droll you are!" he said. "One does not expect nowadays to find a young man of the educated class, even in America, with such a naive, and, if I may say so, mid-Victorian point of view. It's like finding a snuffbox in a limousine. Ah, well, doubtless you had Puritan ancestors. So many Americans appear to have had. I'll wager you'll forget your notions when you go hunting with me. You've a genuine new thrill in store for you, Mr. Rainsford." "Thank you, I'm a hunter, not a murderer." "Dear me," the general said, quite unruffled, "again that unpleasant word. But I think I can show you that your scruples are quite ill-founded." "Yes?" "Life is for the strong, to be lived by the strong, and, if needs be, taken by the strong. The weak of the world were put here to give the strong pleasure. I am strong. Why should I not use my gift? If I wish to hunt, why should I not? I hunt the scum of the earth: sailors from tramp ships — lascars, blacks, Chinese, whites, mongrels — a thoroughbred horse or hound is worth more than a score of them." "But they are men," Rainsford said hotly. "Precisely," said the general. "That is why I use them. It gives me pleasure. They can reason, after a fashion. So they are dangerous." "But where do you get them?" The general's left eyelid fluttered down in a wink. "This island is called Ship-Trap," he answered. "Sometimes an angry god of the high seas sends them to me. Sometimes, when Providence is not so kind, I help Providence a bit. Come to the window with me. Rainsford went to the window and looked out toward the sea. "Watch! Out there!" exclaimed the general, pointing into the night. Rainsford's eyes saw only blackness, and then, as the general pressed a button, far out to sea Rainsford saw the flash of lights. The general chuckled. "They indicate a channel," he said, "where there's none; giant rocks with razor edges crouch like a sea monster with wide-open jaws. They can crush a ship as easily as I crush this nut." He dropped a walnut on the hardwood floor and brought his heel grinding down on it. "Oh, yes," he said, casually, as if in answer to a question, "I have electricity. We try to be civilized here." 47 Grade 5

"Civilized? And you shoot down men?" A trace of anger was in the general's black eyes, but it was there for but a second; and he said, in his most pleasant manner, "Dear me, what a righteous young man you are! I assure you I do not do the thing you suggest. That would be barbarous. I treat these visitors with every consideration. They get plenty of good food and exercise. They get into splendid physical condition. You shall see for yourself tomorrow." "What do you mean?" "We'll visit my training school," the general smiled. "It's in the cellar. I have about a dozen pupils down there now. They're from the Spanish bark San Lucar that had the bad luck to go on the rocks out there. A very inferior lot, I regret to say. Poor specimens and more accustomed to the deck than to the jungle." He raised his hand, and Ivan, who served as waiter, brought thick Turkish coffee. Rainsford, with an effort, held his tongue in check. "It's a game, you see," pursued the general blandly. "I suggest to one of them that we go hunting. I give him a supply of food and an excellent hunting knife. I give him three hours' start. I am to follow, armed only with a pistol of the smallest caliber and range. If my quarry eludes me for three whole days, he wins the game. If I find him"— the general smiled — "he loses." "Suppose he refuses to be hunted?" "Oh," said the general, "I give him his option, of course. He need not play that game if he doesn't wish to. If he does not wish to hunt, I turn him over to Ivan. Ivan once had the honor of serving as official knouter to the Great White Czar, and he has his own ideas of sport. Invariably, Mr. Rainsford, invariably they choose the hunt." "And if they win?" The smile on the general's face widened. "To date, I have not lost," he said. Then he added, hastily: "I don't wish you to think me a braggart, Mr. Rainsford. Many of them afford only the most elementary sort of problem. Occasionally I strike a tartar. One almost did win. I eventually had to use the dogs." "The dogs?" "This way, please. I'll show you." The general steered Rainsford to a window. The lights from the windows sent a flickering illumination that made grotesque patterns on the courtyard below, and Rainsford could see moving about there a dozen or so huge black shapes; as they turned toward him, their eyes glittered greenly. "A rather good lot, I think," observed the general. "They are let out at seven every night. If anyone should try to get into my house — or out of it —something extremely regrettable would occur to him." He hummed a snatch of song from the Folies Bergere. "And now," the general said, "I want to show you my new collection of heads. Will you come with me to the library?" "I hope," Rainsford said, "that you will excuse me tonight, General Zaroff. I'm really not feeling well." "All, indeed?" the general inquired solicitously. "Well, I suppose that's only natural, after your long swim. You need a good, restful night's sleep. Tomorrow you'll feel like a new man, I'll wager. Then we'll hunt, eh? I've one rather promising prospect—" Rainsford was hurrying from the room. "Sorry you can't go with me tonight," called the general. "I expect rather fair sport — a big, strong, black. He looks resourceful — Well, good night, Mr. Rainsford; I hope you have a good night's rest." "Tonight," said the general, "we will hunt—you and I" The bed was good, and the pajamas of the softest silk, and he was tired in every fiber of his being, but nevertheless Rainsford could not quiet his brain with the opiate of sleep. He lay, eyes wide open. Once he thought he heard stealthy steps in the corridor outside his room. He sought to throw open the door; it would not open. He went to the window and looked out. His room was high up in one of the towers. The lights of the chateau were out now, and it was dark and silent; but there was a fragment of sallow moon, and by its wan light he could see, dimly, the courtyard. There, weaving in and out in the pattern of shadows were black, noiseless forms; the hounds heard him at the window and looked up, expectantly, with their green eyes. Rainsford went back to the bed and lay down. By many methods he tried to put himself to sleep. He had achieved a doze when, just as morning began to come, he heard, far off in the jungle, the faint report of a pistol.

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General Zaroff did not appear until luncheon. He was dressed faultlessly in the tweeds of a country squire. He was solicitous about the state of Rainsford's health. "As for me," sighed the general, "I do not feel so well. I am worried, Mr. Rainsford. Last night I detected traces of my old complaint." To Rainsford's questioning glance the general said, "Ennui. Boredom." Then, taking a second helping of crepes Suzette, the general explained: "The hunting was not good last night. The fellow lost his head. He made a straight trail that offered no problems at all. That's the trouble with these sailors; they have dull brains to begin with, and they do not know how to get about in the woods. They do excessively stupid and obvious things. It's most annoying. Will you have another glass of Chablis, Mr. Rainsford?" "General," Rainsford said firmly, "I wish to leave this island at once." The general raised his thickets of eyebrows; he seemed hurt. "But, my dear fellow," the general protested, "you've only just come. You've had no hunting —" "I wish to go today," Rainsford said. He saw the dead black eyes of the general on him, studying him. General Zaroffs face suddenly brightened. He filled Rainsford's glass with venerable Chablis from a dusty bottle. "Tonight," the general said, "we will hunt — you and I." Rainsford shook his head. "No, general," he said. "I will not hunt." The general shrugged his shoulders and delicately ate a hothouse grape. "As you wish, my friend," he said. "The choice rests entirely with you. But may I not venture to suggest that you will find my idea of sport more diverting than Ivan's?" He nodded toward the corner to where the giant stood, scowling, his thick arms crossed on his hogshead of chest. "You don't mean —" cried Rainsford. "My dear fellow," said the general, "have I not told you I always mean what I say about hunting? This is really an inspiration. I drink to a foeman worthy of my steel — at last." The general raised his glass, but Rainsford sat staring at him. "You'll find this game worth playing," the general said enthusiastically. "Your brain against mine. Your woodcraft against mine. Your strength and stamina against mine. Outdoor chess! And the stake is not without value, eh?" "And if I win —" began Rainsford huskily. "I'll cheerfully acknowledge myself defeated if I do not find you by midnight of the third day," said General Zaroff. "My sloop will place you on the mainland near a town." The general read what Rainsford was thinking. "Oh, you can trust me," the Cossack said. "I will give you my word as a gentleman and a sportsman. Of course you, in turn, must agree to say nothing of your visit here." "I'll agree to nothing of the kind," Rainsford said. "Oh," said the general, "in that case — But why discuss that now? Three days hence we can discuss it over a bottle of Veuve Cliquot, unless —" The general sipped his wine. Then a businesslike air animated him. "Ivan," he said to Rainsford, "will supply you with hunting clothes, food, a knife. I suggest you wear moccasins; they leave a poorer trail. I suggest, too, that you avoid the big swamp in the southeast corner of the island. We call it Death Swamp. There's quicksand there. One foolish fellow tried it. The deplorable part of it was that Lazarus followed him. You can imagine my feelings, Mr. Rainsford. I loved Lazarus; he was the finest hound in my pack. Well, I must beg you to excuse me now. I always take a siesta after lunch. You'll hardly have time for a nap, I fear. You'll want to start, no doubt. I shall not follow till dusk. Hunting at night is so much more exciting than by day, don't you think? Au revoir, Mr. Rainsford, au revoir." General Zaroff, with a deep, courtly bow, strolled from the room. From another door came Ivan. Under one arm he carried khaki hunting clothes, a haversack of food, a leather sheath containing a long-bladed hunting knife; his right hand rested on a cocked revolver thrust in the crimson sash about his waist... The silence of the dead world was in the jungle... Rainsford had fought his way through the bush for two hours. "I must keep my nerve. I must keep my nerve," he said through tight teeth.

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He had not been entirely clearheaded when the chateau gates snapped shut behind him. His whole idea at first was to put distance between himself and General Zaroff; and, to this end, he had plunged along, spurred on by the sharp rower of something very like panic. Now he had got a grip on himself, had stopped, and was taking stock of himself and the situation. He saw that straight flight was futile; inevitably it would bring him face to face with the sea. He was in a picture with a frame of water, and his operations, clearly, must take place within that frame. "I'll give him a trail to follow," muttered Rainsford, and he struck off from the rude path he had been following into the trackless wilderness. He executed a series of intricate loops; he doubled on his trail again and again, recalling all the lore of the fox hunt, and all the dodges of the fox. Night found him leg-weary, with hands and face lashed by the branches, on a thickly wooded ridge. He knew it would be insane to blunder on through the dark, even if he had the strength. His need for rest was imperative and he thought, "I have played the fox, now I must play the cat of the fable." A big tree with a thick trunk and outspread branches was nearby, and, taking care to leave not the slightest mark, he climbed up into the crotch, and, stretching out on one of the broad limbs, after a fashion, rested. Rest brought him new confidence and almost a feeling of security. Even so zealous a hunter as General Zaroff could not trace him there, he told himself; only the devil himself could follow that complicated trail through the jungle after dark. But perhaps the general was a devil— An apprehensive night crawled slowly by like a wounded snake and sleep did not visit Rainsford, although the silence of a dead world was on the jungle. Toward morning when a dingy gray was varnishing the sky, the cry of some startled bird focused Rainsford's attention in that direction. Something was coming through the bush, coming slowly, carefully, coming by the same winding way Rainsford had come. He flattened himself down on the limb and, through a screen of leaves almost as thick as tapestry, he watched. The thing that was approaching was a man. It was General Zaroff. He made his way along with his eyes fixed in utmost concentration on the ground before him. He paused, almost beneath the tree, dropped to his knees and studied the ground. Rainsford's impulse was to hurl himself down like a panther, but he saw that the general's right hand held something metallic — a small automatic pistol. The hunter shook his head several times, as if he were puzzled. Then he straightened up and took from his case one of his black cigarettes; its pungent incense-like smoke floated up to Rainsford's nostrils. Rainsford held his breath. The general's eyes had left the ground and were traveling inch by inch up the tree. Rainsford froze there, every muscle tensed for a spring. But the sharp eyes of the hunter stopped before they reached the limb where Rainsford lay; a smile spread over his brown face. Very deliberately he blew a smoke ring into the air; then he turned his back on the tree and walked carelessly away, back along the trail he had come. The swish of the underbrush against his hunting boots grew fainter and fainter. The pent-up air burst hotly from Rainsford's lungs. His first thought made him feel sick and numb. The general could follow a trail through the woods at night; he could follow an extremely difficult trail; he must have uncanny powers; only by the merest chance had the Cossack failed to see his quarry. Rainsford's second thought was even more terrible. It sent a shudder of cold horror through his whole being. Why had the general smiled? Why had he turned back? Nerve, Nerve, Nerve!

Rainsford did not want to believe what his reason told him was true, but the truth was as evident as the sun that had by now pushed through the morning mists. The general was playing with him! The general was saving him for another day's sport! The Cossack was the cat; he was the mouse. Then it was that Rainsford knew the full meaning of terror. "I will not lose my nerve. I will not." He slid down from the tree and struck off again into the woods. His face was set and he forced the machinery of his mind to function. Three hundred yards from his hiding place he stopped where a huge dead tree leaned precariously on a smaller, living one. Throwing off his sack of food, Rainsford took his knife from its sheath and began to work with all his energy. The job was finished at last, and he threw himself down behind a fallen log a hundred feet away. He did not have to wait long. The cat was coming again to play with the mouse. Following the trail with the sureness of a bloodhound came General Zaroff. Nothing escaped those searching black eyes, no crushed blade of grass, no bent twig, no mark, no matter how faint, in the moss. So intent was the Cossack on his 50 Grade 5 stalking that he was upon the thing Rainsford had made before he saw it. His foot touched the protruding bough that was the trigger. Even as he touched it, the general sensed his danger and leaped back with the agility of an ape. But he was not quite quick enough; the dead tree, delicately adjusted to rest on the cut living one, crashed down and struck the general a glancing blow on the shoulder as it fell; but for his alertness, he must have been smashed beneath it. He staggered, but he did not fall; nor did he drop his revolver. He stood there, rubbing his injured shoulder, and Rainsford, with fear again gripping his heart, heard the general's mocking laugh ring through the jungle. "Rainsford," called the general, "if you are within the sound of my voice, as I suppose you are, let me congratulate you. Not many men know how to make a Malay man-catcher. Luckily for me, I, too, have hunted in Malacca. You are proving interesting, Mr. Rainsford. I am going now to have my wound dressed; it's only a slight one. But I shall be back. I shall be back." When the general, nursing his bruised shoulder, had gone, Rainsford took up his flight again. It was flight now, a desperate, hopeless flight, that carried him on for some hours. Dusk came, then darkness, and still he pressed on. The ground grew softer under his moccasins; the vegetation grew ranker, denser; insects bit him savagely. Then, as he stepped forward, his foot sank into the ooze. He tried to wrench it back, but the muck sucked viciously at his foot as if it were a giant leech. With a violent effort, he tore his feet loose. He knew where he was now. Death Swamp and its quicksand. His hands were tight closed as if his nerve were something tangible that someone in the darkness was trying to tear from his grip. The softness of the earth had given him an idea. He stepped back from the quicksand a dozen feet or so and, like some huge prehistoric beaver, he began to dig. Rainsford had dug himself in in France when a second's delay meant death. That had been a placid pastime compared to his digging now. The pit grew deeper; when it was above his shoulders, he climbed out and from some hard saplings cut stakes and sharpened them to a fine point. These stakes he planted in the bottom of the pit with the points sticking up. With flying fingers, he wove a rough carpet of weeds and branches and with it, he covered the mouth of the pit. Then, wet with sweat and aching with tiredness, he crouched behind the stump of a lightning-charred tree. He knew his pursuer was coming; he heard the padding sound of feet on the soft earth, and the night breeze brought him the perfume of the general's cigarette. It seemed to Rainsford that the general was coming with unusual swiftness; he was not feeling his way along, foot by foot. Rainsford, crouching there, could not see the general, nor could he see the pit. He lived a year in a minute. Then he felt an impulse to cry aloud with joy, for he heard the sharp crackle of the breaking branches as the cover of the pit gave way; he heard the sharp scream of pain as the pointed stakes found their mark. He leaped up from his place of concealment. Then he cowered back. Three feet from the pit a man was standing, with an electric torch in his hand. "You've done well, Rainsford," the voice of the general called. "Your Burmese tiger pit has claimed one of my best dogs. Again you score. I think, Mr. Rainsford, I'll see what you can do against my whole pack. I'm going home for a rest now. Thank you for a most amusing evening." At daybreak Rainsford, lying near the swamp, was awakened by a sound that made him know that he had new things to learn about fear. It was a distant sound, faint and wavering, but he knew it. It was the baying of a pack of hounds. Rainsford knew he could do one of two tilings. He could stay where he was and wait. That was suicide. He could flee. That was postponing the inevitable. For a moment he stood there, thinking. An idea that held a wild chance came to him, and, tightening his belt, he headed away from the swamp. The baying of the hounds drew nearer, then still nearer, nearer, ever nearer. On a ridge Rainsford climbed a tree. Down a watercourse, not a quarter of a mile away, he could see the bush moving. Straining his eyes, he saw the lean figure of General Zaroff; just ahead of him Rainsford made out another figure whose wide shoulders surged through the tall jungle weeds; it was the giant Ivan, and he seemed pulled forward by some unseen force; Rainsford knew that Ivan must be holding the pack in leash. They would be on him any minute now. His mind worked frantically. He thought of a native trick he had learned in Uganda. He slid down the tree. He caught hold of a springy young sapling and to it, he fastened his hunting knife, with the blade pointing down the trail; with a bit of wild grapevine he tied back the sapling. Then he ran for his life. The hounds raised their voices as they hit the fresh scent. Rainsford knew now how an animal at bay feels. He had to stop to get his breath. The baying of the hounds stopped abruptly, and Rainsford's heart stopped too. They must have reached the knife. 51 Grade 5

He shinned excitedly up a tree and looked back. His pursuers had stopped. But the hope that was in Rainsford's brain when he climbed died, for he saw in the shallow valley that General Zaroff was still on his feet, but Ivan was not. The knife, driven by the recoil of the springing tree, had not wholly failed. Rainsford had hardly tumbled to the ground when the pack took up the cry again. "Nerve, nerve, nerve!" he panted, as he dashed along. A blue gap showed between the trees dead ahead. Ever nearer drew the hounds. Rainsford forced himself on toward that gap. He reached it. It was the shore of the sea. Across a cove, he could see the gloomy gray stone of the chateau. Twenty feet below him the sea rumbled and hissed. Rainsford hesitated. He heard the hounds. Then he leaped far out into the sea... When the general and his pack reached the place by the sea, the Cossack stopped. For some minutes he stood regarding the blue-green expanse of water. He shrugged his shoulders. Then be sat down, took a drink of brandy from a silver flask, lit a cigarette, and hummed a bit from Madame Butterfly. General Zaroff had an exceedingly good dinner in his great paneled dining hall that evening. With it, he had a bottle of Pol Roger and half a bottle of Chamhertin. Two slight annoyances kept him from perfect enjoyment. One was the thought that it would be difficult to replace Ivan; the other was that his quarry had escaped him; of course, the American hadn't played the game — so thought the general as he tasted his after-dinner liqueur. In his library he read, to soothe himself, from the works of Marcus Aurelius. At 10, he went up to his bedroom. He was deliciously tired, he said to himself, as he locked himself in. There was a little moonlight, so, before turning on his light, he went to the window and looked down at the courtyard. He could see the great hounds, and he called, "Better luck another time," to them. Then he switched on the light. A man, who had been hiding in the curtains of the bed, was standing there. "Rainsford!" screamed the general. "How in God's name did you get here?"

"Swam," Rainsford said. "I found it quicker than walking through the jungle." The general sucked in his breath and smiled. "I congratulate you," he said. "You have won the game." Rainsford did not smile. "I am still a beast at bay," he said, in a low, hoarse voice. "Get ready, General Zaroff." The general made one of his deepest bows. "I see," he said. "Splendid! One of us is to furnish a repast for the hounds. The other will sleep in this very excellent bed. On guard, Rainsford." He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford decided.

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What's a sporting event look like in an empty stadium? By Washington Post, adapted by Newsela staff on 03.15.20 Word Count 938 Level 850L

Image 1. Tomoyuki Sugano of the Yomiuri Giants pitches during a preseason baseball game between the Yomiuri Giants and the Yakult Swallows at an empty stadium in Tokyo, Japan, on February 29, 2020. Japan's professional baseball league said February 27 it will play its 72 remaining preseason games in empty stadiums because of the threat of the spreading coronavirus. Photo: Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo

Newsela Editor's Update as of March 14: Before we could run this story, the NBA suspended all games as did the NHL. Other leagues quickly followed suit including Major League Soccer and the PGA Tour. Baseball's opening day has been postponed. The NCAA basketball tournaments for both women and men have been canceled.

On April 29, 2015, the Baltimore Orioles Major League Baseball team played the Chicago White Sox. They played at a stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. This was an unusual version of a baseball game, though. There was no smell of hot dogs or popcorn. And there were no fans. The stadium was so quiet. You could hear a phone ring from across the field. The game took place during civil unrest in Baltimore. A resident of the city named Freddie Gray had died in police custody. People started protesting. The protests became violent. Due to security risks, Major League Baseball, also called MLB, decided to play the game with no fans in attendance.

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Jim Palmer was the announcer for that game. "Fans play such a big part in generating the intensity when you're playing at home," Palmer said. "All of that was gone." Leagues Preparing Plans for Coronavirus Outbreak Is a sporting event still a sporting event if no fans are there to watch? This question is suddenly very relevant this week. Major sports leagues in North America are preparing plans for the growing coronavirus outbreak. Among these are the National Basketball Association, also called the NBA, the National Hockey League, also called the NHL, and MLB. Public events with thousands of people in attendance risk the spread of the virus. Some cities have already banned large gatherings of people. This will affect games for major sports leagues. Many have already announced the suspension of the rest of their seasons. Europe has already taken steps. Soccer matches in Spain, Portugal, France, Germany and Slovakia have been or will be played in empty stadiums. Italy has been hit especially hard by the coronavirus. The country has canceled all matches for the next month. Baseball leagues in Japan and South Korea have delayed the starts of their regular seasons. Deciding Whether To Delay Games American leagues have been deciding whether to delay games. They have also been thinking about relocating games or playing them without fans. The NHL's San Jose Sharks is a hockey team. They play in Santa Clara County, California. They have been playing games without fans. Health officials have banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people there. Both the NHL and NBA are near the end of their regular seasons. The playoffs are just around the corner. On March 9, the NBA instructed teams to prepare for the possibility of games in empty arenas. Star basketball player LeBron James was disappointed at the prospect of this. "Obviously I would be very disappointed, you know, not having the fans because that's what I play for," James said. "I play for my family. I play for my fans. "They're saying no one could actually come to the game if they go to that point, so I'd be disappointed in that, but at the same time, you got to listen to the people that are keeping track of what's going on. If they feel that it's best for the safety of the players, safety of the franchise, safety of the league to mandate that, then we'll all listen to it," James added. On March 11, the NBA announced it was pausing games for the rest of the season. On March 12, the NHL also announced it is pausing the rest of the season. Major League Soccer announced on March 12 that it has suspended its season for 30 days. Opening day for the MLB season was supposed to be on March 26 this year. On March 12, MLB announced it would delay its opening game by at least two weeks. Earlier, it had looked like MLB was more likely to move games than to play them in empty stadiums. Contrary To Entertainment Sports are meant to be entertainment. The idea of a game played in an empty stadium is contrary to entertainment. For example, if crowds could not go to a concert, the musician would likely cancel the event. They would not perform in front of an empty audience. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day music festival. It takes place in the California desert every year. Organizers announced on March 10 that the festival will be postponed until October of this year. They are concerned about the coronavirus. The festival was supposed to take place in April. Ryan Zimmerman is a first baseman. He plays for the Washington Nationals. He talked about the idea of a fanless baseball game during spring training this year. "It would be awful," Zimmerman said. "That's why it's so hard to play down here. You know the games don't count and there is no atmosphere. ... We're all professionals, and I'm sure we would do it, but I don't think it would be good."

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Having games without fans is also another important part of sports: making money. Teams and leagues could lose millions of dollars each game that is played to an empty stadium. Perhaps that is why the 2015 game between the White Sox and the Orioles remains the only game in major North American professional sports to have been played to no fans in attendance.

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