Week 5
Directions Monday Read “Blue Lightning.” Then, answer the multiplechoice questions.
Tuesday Reread or review “Blue Lightning.” Then, answer the multiple-choice questions.
Wednesday Reread or review “Blue Lightning.” Then, answer the multiple-choice questions.
Thursday Read “No snap, crackle, pop for cereal sales.” Then, answer the multiple-choice questions.
Friday Reread or review “No snap, crackle, pop for cereal sales.” Then, answer the multiple-choice questions.
Blue Lightning
Blue Lightning By A.P. Raj
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Sondra loved cars more than anything else. When she was a kid, she begged her dad to let her join the Boy Scouts, just so she could build a car to race in the Pinewood Derby. Her car was a jagged spike of pinewood painted a glittery, electric shade of blue. She named that car “Blue Lightning.” Blue Lightning didn’t win the Pinewood Derby, but it did come in 2nd place. Sondra had been so proud, and her dad was proud of her, too. She had doodled drawings of Blue Lightning all over her notebooks. She sometimes dreamt that Blue Lightning became a real car sitting out in her driveway, and she would get in and take it out for a drive. Even though she was too young, and had never driven a car, in those dreams she always knew exactly what to do. Driving Blue Lightning made her feel powerful and free. Then one lazy Saturday in spring, Sondra was flipping through a car magazine she liked, when an ad caught her eye: AMATEUR GO‐KART RACERS, START YOUR ENGINES! Do you LOVE cars? Do you have a passion for racing? Build your very own go‐Kart and enter the Go‐Go Derby! All experience levels welcome! Racers ages 13 and up may enter with parental supervision. Sondra had just turned 13 that fall. She screamed with delight and immediately ran to her dad to beg him for permission to enter. She was ready to build Blue Lightning, Mark II. © 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
Blue Lightning
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Her dad read the magazine ad and frowned. “I don’t know, Sondra,” he said. “Building a car for the Pinewood Derby was one thing, but a go‐kart? That’s a whole new level. It sounds kind of dangerous.” “Not if you help me!” she said. “That’s true. It could be a fun project. And we’d both learn a lot,” he said. “Exactly! So we can do it?” Sondra said. “Well, I’ll ask your mother what she thinks. And I want to know that you’re serious about it. So how about this: you do some research into how we’re actually going to build this thing, and come back to me in a week with a design.” Sondra jumped with joy. “You got it, Dad!” she said. She gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek, and went straight to her computer to start researching go‐kart designs. In a week, Sondra had a notebook full of drawings and notes about her project, from spending hours after school researching, thinking and planning. Blue Lightning, Mark II looked ready to go. Sondra’s design was a lot like the original Blue Lightning, except instead of pinewood, it would be made of steel. And of course, it would be a real vehicle that she could drive. Thrilled at the thought of building it, Sondra brought her sketches and notes to her dad. He put on his glasses and looked over her work, thinking. “These are some interesting ideas, honey,” he said. “I see you’ve designed this a lot like your Pinewood Derby car from a few years ago, even down to the lightning bolt shape you love so much.” “That’s right!” Sondra said, beaming. “Well, it will certainly look unique,” he said. “But how will it drive?” “What do you mean?” Sondra asked. “Well…” Her dad stopped to think. It seemed like he had something to say, but decided against it. “Tell you what. Instead of telling you what I think, why don’t we build Blue Lightning, Mark II the way you’ve designed it?”
© 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
Blue Lightning
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Sondra was a bit confused, but she wanted to build the go‐kart more than anything, so she agreed. They took a trip to the hardware store to buy all the parts they needed: a lot of metal, engines, cables, brackets, bolts and screws. They had to stop at a specialty hobbyist store to pick up the steering wheel and the materials they needed to build the steering block—the accelerator and brake pedals, and, of course, a comfy seat for Sondra to sit in. Finally, they stopped at a sporting goods store to buy a helmet and pads for her to wear when she was driving. Back at home, they brought all their new stuff into the garage and went to work. Over two weekends of hard work, they turned Sondra’s sketches and notes into a real, working go‐kart. When they finally mounted the seat on Blue Lightning, Mark II, Sondra felt more proud than she had ever felt in her whole life. “She looks great!” Sondra said. “All we have to do now is the paint job!” “Before we do, why don’t we take it for a test drive?” her dad said. Sondra thought she heard some mischief in his voice and thought about how he had almost said something about her design, but had decided not to. What was he up to? “Okay,” she said. “Let’s do it!” So they took the second Blue Lightning out to a nearby parking lot, and Sondra took it for a spin. Her dad made sure she wore her helmet and pads, and watched her as she drove the go‐ kart around the lot. She noticed that when she tried to go fast, she felt a lot of resistance from the wind. When she slowed down, she didn’t notice it as much. After she had her fun, she drove back to where her dad was standing. He was smiling like he expected something from her. “Well, that was fun!” she said. “But I think I know why you wanted me to take it for a test drive.” “Oh, do you?” he said. “Please share.”
© 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
Blue Lightning
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“Yes, and?” “And I think it’s because of the lightning bolt shape. The wind pushes in and kind of gets caught in the zigzagging part of the frame,” she said. “Very good!” her dad said. “So, why didn’t you tell me about that problem in the first place?” Sondra said. She was a little bit annoyed. Her dad laughed. “Where’s the fun in that? Didn’t I ever tell you the story about teaching someone to fish?” “’If you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day,’” Sondra said, mimicking a very wise tone her parents used when they were teaching her lessons. “’But if you teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a lifetime.’” “Exactly, kiddo,” he said. “You may be annoyed now, but I promise, you’ll thank me when you’re older.” Sondra rolled her eyes. “You always say that!” “It’s always true,” her dad said, laughing. “So, now what?” she said. “Now, we get ice cream. But after that, it’s back to the drawing board for you.” Sondra smiled. “Sounds good to me. Designing is half the fun anyway!” So Sondra went back to researching, sketching and taking notes. Her dad emailed her an article about aerodynamics: the science of how air interacts with solid objects. After she read it, she felt silly about her lightning bolt design. But her dad told her that sometimes, the only way we learn how to do something right is by doing it a few times first, and making silly mistakes along the way.
© 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
Blue Lightning
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“You know who makes more mistakes than anybody?” he said. “Great inventors!” That inspired Sondra and she worked harder than ever. Her next design wasn’t shaped like a lightning bolt at all, but more like a Formula One racecar. She started to understand why they were designed the way they were. She showed her dad her new design, and he nodded with pride. Once again, they went to work, taking apart the first go‐kart they’d built and putting it back together again. When Sondra test‐drove the newest Blue Lightning, it came a lot closer to living up to its name. “What do you think, Dad?” she asked. “Do we need to go back to the drawing board again?” “You can always make improvements on a design,” he said. “But the race is in two weeks!” So they decided that Blue Lightning, Mark II was in racing condition, and painted it with the electric blue paint Sondra loved. When the time came to race in the Go‐Go Derby, Sondra wasn’t worried about whether she came in first place — in her mind, she had already won, by building something better than she had ever built before.
© 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
Monday
Blue Lightning 1. What is a theme of this story? A. Parents should not let their children try new things. B. Making mistakes can help you learn. C. People should always share their feelings with each other. D. Always say what’s on your mind.
RL 3.2 I can retell stories from diverse cultures and identify the central message, lesson, moral, or theme in the story.
2. What does Sondra do right after she learns about the Go-Go Derby? A. She starts building her go-kart. B. She spends hours after school researching, thinking, and planning. C. She goes to the store with her dad to buy all of the parts. D. She ran to her dad to get permission to enter the race.
RL 3.1 I can answer important questions by referring explicitly to the text.
Tuesday
Blue Lightning 3. What does dad ask Sondra to do so that he knows she is serious about building the go-kart? A. He asks her to enter the race early. B. He asks her to find a friend to help her build the car. C. He asks her to do some research and make a design. D. He asks her to contact the magazine to get more information about the race. RL 3.1 I can answer important questions by referring explicitly to the text.
4. The following sentence is from the selection. “Then one lazy Saturday in spring, Sondra was flipping through a car magazine she liked, when an ad caught her eye: AMATEUR GO-KART RACERS, START YOUR ENGINES!” What does the word amateur mean as it is used in the sentence? A. Audience B. Beginner C. Teacher D. Experienced RL 3.4 I can determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word in a text.
Wednesday
Blue Lightning 5. In the selection, Sondra repeats a story that her dad told her. “If you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day,” Sondra said, mimicking a very wise tone her parents used when they were teaching her lessons. “But if you teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a lifetime.” What is the moral of the story that dad tells Sondra about the fish? A. If you teach someone a skill, they will be able to benefit from it for the rest of their life. B. It is most important to live for the day. C. If you have enough fish for your family, you should give some of the extra fish to someone in need. D. It is important to eat fish for survival. RL 3.2 I can retell stories from diverse cultures and identify the central message, lesson, moral, or theme in the story.
6. Which word describes Sondra? A. Lazy B. Mean C. Sneaky D. Creative RL 3.3 I can describe characters in a story with detail.
No snap, crackle, pop for cereal sales By Washington Post, adapted by Newsela staff on 03.24.15 Word Count 447
Emmy Award-winning choreographer Derek Hough teaches fans Hastings Hill (left) and Brielle Paul (right) his new "Cereal and Milk" dance at the Kellogg's Recharge Bar, June 26, 2014, in New York. Photo: John Minchillo/AP Images for Kellogg’s
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Companies that make cereal are having a hard time these days. Just ask General Mills. It is the biggest seller of cereal in the United States.
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On Wednesday morning, General Mills announced that it is selling less cereal than before. It was the sixth straight time it reported lower cereal sales.
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Cereal is just not as important a part of breakfast as it once was. Many people are choosing to eat other foods instead. Yogurt, snack bars and breakfast sandwiches have all become popular for breakfast.
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Cereal sales have been dropping since 2009. They are expected to continue falling until at least 2020.
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Some breakfast cereals are still pretty popular, however.
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For example, sales of Cheerios are still strong. Cheerios is made by General Mills. Honey Nut Cheerios is the best-selling type of Cheerios.
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Americans also still love a few of the extra-sugary cereals. Frosted Flakes is now the second best-selling cereal in this country. Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Lucky Charms remain popular too.
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Other cereals have seen their sales fall. For examples, sales of Wheaties have been dropping for at least 10 years. Once, Wheaties was extremely popular.
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Corn Pops is also no longer popular. Rice Krispies has also been selling much less than it used to.
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Healthy cereals have mostly had strong sales. Muesli is doing the best of all the healthier cereals. It is a mix of oats, grains, fruits and nuts. Sales of Muesli have been going up steadily for the past nine years. Kashi sales have been strong too.
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People are also still buying extra-sugary cereals. Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms and Froot Loops have all been selling more since 2005. They have become more popular.
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Shoppers seem to go back and forth when they choose cereals. Sometimes they choose a healthy cereal. Other times, they pick an unhealthy sugary cereal. They choose the sugary cereal when they want a special treat.
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The cereals that are selling the least are the ones in the middle. Wheaties is not as healthy as Muesli. And it is not as sweet as Froot Loops to feel like a treat.
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Sales of some cereals are holding steady or even growing. However, cereal sales are dropping overall.
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There is one big reason for the drop: Busy American families do not have much time in the morning. They are looking for food they can grab as they rush out the door. More and more, they are eating things like snack bars.
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Families also do not eat breakfast together as much as they used to. TV ads still show families eating cereal together. In real life, that just is not that common anymore.
Thursday
No snap, crackle, pop for cereal sales 1. This paragraph is from the text. “Other cereals have seen their sales fall. For example, sales of Wheaties have been dropping for at least 10 years. Once, Wheaties was extremely popular.” What question does this paragraph answer? A. Why have cereal sales fallen? B. Why was Wheaties such a popular cereal? C. How long have the sales of Wheaties been dropping?
D. Which cereal is the most healthy? RI 3.1 I can ask important questions that are text dependent.
2. According to the graphic aid, General Mills sold: A. 131 million dollars worth of Apple Jacks B. 131 dollars worth of Apple Jacks C. 131 million boxes of Apple Jacks
D. 131 boxes of Apple Jacks RI 3.5 I can use text features to locate information in a text.
Friday
No snap, crackle, pop for cereal sales 3. Why do shoppers choose sugary cereals? A. They buy them for their children. B. They want a special treat. C. They are the most popular cereals. D. They are cheaper than healthy cereals. RI 3.7 I can use information from the words in a text to discover where, when, why, or how events occur.
4. A main idea from the story is that General Mills has seen cereal sales dropping for many years. Which detail supports this main idea? A. Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, and Froot Loops have all been selling more since 2005. B. The sales of Cheerios are still strong. C. Sales of Muesli have been going up steadily for the past nine years. D. Cereal is just not as important a part of breakfast as it once was. RI 3.2 I can identify the main idea and key details that support it.
Answer Key Blue Lightning 1. B 2. D 3. C 4. B 5. A 6. D No snap, crackle, pop for cereal sales 1. C 2. A 3. B 4. D
Test-Taking Strategy Sometimes an answer choice has information from the selection, but does not answer the question being asked. Students may think that because they read a sentence in the selection that it is the correct answer, but it may not be the correct answer to the question you are trying to answer. Make sure you read all of the answer choices carefully.
