The Developing Reading Power - Enriched Combined Edition series develops

interest and love for reading and most especially strengthens and instills in
mind of the pupils the four basic reading comprehension skills namely: noting
details of the story read, getting the general significance of the story, making
inferences and predicting outcomes, and following directions.

It contains additional 40 exercises that serve to assess the pupils' speed and
comprehension complete with charts, tables, and record forms to give both the
teacher and pupil a complete and ready-to-use data for evaluation.
 RULES TO FOLLOW

The Grade Six pupils decided to make their room clean, orderly and
beautiful. Here are some of the rules everyone needs to follow:
Wipe your shoes on the doormat before entering the room.
Put the wastepaper, fruit peelings and candy wrappers in the waste
basket.
Keep the walls, desks and tables free from pencil and chalk marks and
scratches.
Put the cleaning materials in a box.
Arrange the furniture properly.
Put away your pencils, books, notebooks after using them.
Hang umbrellas and raincoats in one corner of a room.
Keep books clean and well-covered.
 DAPHNE

Daphne was a beautiful nymph. The son God, Apollo, fell in love with her
but she rejected him. Once, Apollo saw her and pursued her. Daphne sought
shelter behind a big tree. She was out of breath from running. Now, as she
leaned on the tree, she looked back with frightened eyes. Was Apollo still
running after her? She threw herself upon her knees and prayed to be saved
from her pursuer. She rose with outstretched arms. Then her fingers fluttered
gently, as if blown by a gentle breeze. Little by little she was changed from a
beautiful nymph to a laurel tree. Slowly she broke into a smile. Now, she was
safe. Apollo could not carry her away anymore.
 HOW THE ROMANS COOKED THEIR FOOD

Long ago the Romans used to cook their food just as the way hunters
today sometimes do. They dug out an oven in the ground, lined it with stones
and made a fire in it. When the improvised oven was well heated, they raked
out the ashes, put in the food and covered it. We learned it from excavations in
the city of Pompeii. Pompeii was destroyed and buried during the eruption of a
volcano hundreds of years ago. When the city was excavated, ovens with wood
and ashes were found around the ruins. It is believed that just as the cooks
were about to bake, the fiery volcano rained out ashes and boiling lava and
burned down the city.
 FIRST NIGHT IN THE CITY

It was Lynn’s first night in the city. she woke up with a stun and then
she remembered where she was. She had never spent the night in a city before.
She lay still and listened. Cars and jeepers seemed to race like ants heading
straight towards her. A new house was being built next to her aunt’s house and
the cement mixer was roaring angrily. Downstairs, in the kitchen, she heard
the cluttering of pans. Then, she heard the chime of the big clock. She turned
over and asleep again.
 THE FACE IN THE POOL

Narcissus was out of breath from running when he came to a clear pool.
He stopped to drink. Just as he was about to sip the cool water, he saw a face
in the pool. It was handsome and he was attracted to it.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“Who are you?” echoed someone.
“Why are you mocking me?” asked Narcissus.
“Mocking me,” said the voice.
Narcissus was puzzled. He wanted to talk with the face in the pool but it
would not answer. He tried to catch it but no to avail. At last, he lost hope and
plunged into the pool hoping to see the owner of the face.
 CAMPING
Rene was tired from the day’s tramp. He rolled himself in his scout
blanket and laid still. It was very quiet in the woods. Then he heard some queer
noises. There was a flapping of wings. A night owl was on its way to hunt. Tiny
raindrops started to fall on the leaves. The shower was over though, in a
moment. The cicadas and other insects started their night songs which ended
into a forest symphony. “Those queer night sounds in the forest is a good
lullaby,” Rene thought as he drowsed off to a sound sleep.
 A WISE BUYER

“I have good news today, Mother,” said Norma as she put down the big
basket she was carrying.
“What’s your news, Norma?” asked Mother.
“Look at my basket,” said Norma excitedly. “I bought many things today:
meat, sugar, fish, vegetables and fruits. She, I still have a change left.”
“But why?” Asked Mother puzzled.
 HOW TO PREPARE TOMATO CATCHUP

Select some ripe tomatoes. Wash them thoroughly. Cut them crosswise
into halves. Then separate the pulp from the seeds. cook the pulp in an
enameled kettle, stirring it occasionally until the thin peelings separate and
rolled up. Remove the pulp from the fire. Pass the pulp through a wire strainer
and get the juice. Mix the juice with the pulp. Add some vinegar. Put onion
juice, powdered cinnamon, pepper, cloves of garlic and spices in a small cloth
bag and dip it into the mixture. Cook the mixture until it is thick. Take out the
bag of spices. Bottle the cooked pulp and seal.
 BOOKS

Those who cannot read are pitiful because they cannot enjoy books.
Books tell us about the wonderful things in the world. They tell us the
interesting things people do. Books can answer the “whys” and “hows” of things
that puzzle us. They can take us faraway places through imagination. They can
show us, too, the things happened a long time ago as well as those happening
at present. Books tell us about the children in other lands. They hold the key
to the greatest treasures in the world. A wise man once said that he would
rather be a poor boy in a cellar surrounded with books than a prince who had
no chance to read.
 THE DIVER

A skillful diver can see clearly what lies underneath a vast body of water.
He sees swaying seaweeds, acres of sea plants that have large, bright colored
leaves. He finds countless giant crabs and lobsters. A diver also encounters sea
snakes, sea horses, fierce sharks and other wild fishes. He takes delight in
watching the different species of fish, splendid in their brilliant colors. To a
diver, the life underworld is full of thrilling adventures.
 THE BLIND GIRL

A group of students were chatting and laughing excitedly near the

sidewalk. They seemed to be talking at the same time when suddenly they
became silent. They stared spellbound to a blind girl groping along the wall,
and feel her way about. Though her eyes were open, they could tell that she
could not see. In her right hand was a bunch of flowers which she smelled now
and then. She continued walking till the end of the street. When she was out of
sight the students gave a sigh of relief. Were they not lucky to have two eyes?
 FEEDING TIME AT THE ZOO

It was time for the zookeeper to feed the animals. Judging from the noise,
the beasts were hungry. The lions open their mouths and gave the people in
the zoo a frightful sample of the howl of the king of beasts. The little monkey
squeaked as they tumbled over each other to reach the cage bars. The monkeys
shook the iron bars till they rattled, and parrots jumped up and down
shrieking excitedly.
 AN AIRPLANE RIDE

The strangest thing about my airplane ride was that I seemed not to be
moving at all since the plane assumed a certain attitude. As I looked down, the
earth below seemed like a wonderful map in lovely colors. Everything was a
miniature. The houses, the trees, the buildings appeared like playthings. The
vast rice fields were restful to the eyes to look at. The ocean was but a shallow
stream of clear, blue water.
Indeed, anybody’s first plane ride is a pleasant experience.
 PLANT PESTS

In addition to different kinds of plants diseases, there are great numbers

of plant pests that can destroy or stop the growth of plants. Insects carry fungi
and bacterial diseases from plant to plant. The potato beetle carries the potato
rot. Some insects even eat plants. Certain grasshoppers and biting insects strip
a plant of its leaves, thus killing the plant. The most destructive kinds of
insects are the scale insects, mealy bugs, plant lice and leaf hoppers. They
consume the sap of plant tissues thus causing the withering of the plant itself.
 THE ATOMIC ENERGY

With the establishment of a Nuclear Center, we will engage in the

production of radio isotopes for use in agriculture, industry and medicine. This
is a landmark in our scientific progress as it opens up for our youth the field of
nuclear science and ultimately harness the mightiest industrial power known
to man. It will greatly help fight poverty. With the use of the atomic energy, we
will have the power to run more industries.
 THE DUTCH

The Dutch are the people from Holland. They are considered serious and
hardworking. They are the cleanest people in the world. The Dutch are fond of
eating, drinking and attending parties. Have you seen a picture of a Dutch girl?
She wears big wooden shoes called klompers. Men wear baggy trousers while
women wear flowing skirts, white apron and starched cloth caps. Dutch
children are healthy for they drink plenty of milk and take big amounts of
butter. Boys are trained to steer the boat and take charge of the windmill.
Water sports are popular with the Dutch children.
 PLANT FOR LIFE

Nestor looked happily at his rows of vegetable plants with their green,
fresh and healthy leaves. There were rows of lettuce, tomatoes, eggplants and
pechay. On one side of the yard were trellises of patola, squash and amorgoso.
Nestor remembered that their backyard was once a dumping place of garbage,
empty cans and trash. Then the government launched the “Plant for Life”
project. With the help of his father, they cleaned the backyard and dug the
stumps and roots of old trees. They cultivated the soil, got vegetable seeds from
the Bureau of Plants and planted them in their backyard. Now all are ready for
harvest. The vegetables are more than what they need so Nestor will take some
to the market. That will be extra money for the family.
 THE RAT

The rat belongs to the mouse family although it is larger than a mouse. It
has also more scales on its tail than a mouse. There are rats of different sizes
and colors. The brown Norway rat is the most destructive and powerful. Black
rat can still be found and in cities with warm climate.
Rats travel aboard ships and eat almost anything. If they are hungry they
attach animals, even men. Rats breed rapidly, producing 20 to 50 offsprings a
year. A rat can start breeding at six months old. Wild rats are special problem
to man because they spread bubonic plague, rat fever and they destroy crops.
 THE SCHOOL LUNCH COUNTER
A school canteen or lunch counter is established in every school to
improve children’s eating habits and preferences. Native, nutritious dishes
such as goto, pancit and lumpia are prepared by a teacher with the help of
some children. Sandwiches are sold for those who prefer a light merienda. A
good lunch counter as milk as a regular item for sale. Teachers encourage
their pupils to include milk in their daily food intake.
The canteen is part of a school. It protects from sickness by discouraging
them to buy from food peddlers and unsanitary, nearby stores.
Pupils are asked to patronize the canteen for their own health. The low
prices of food serve as an encouragement for the children to buy the from the
school canteen.
 JOSE RIZAL’S MOTHER

God’s best gift to Jose Rizal was his mother, Dona Teodora Alonzo.
Teodora was brought up by her mother in a home full of love and
understanding. She was educated at Santa Rosa College. Her excellent
education, her goodness of heart and her other virtues prepared her to be the
mother of our national hero. To Jose Rizal, next to God, a mother means every-
thing to a man. Dona Teodora was a devout Catholic. It was her teaching that
made her son, Jose, love the Christian way of life. He was still a baby when his
mother began teaching him the alphabet and the simple prayers as was the
custom of the Filipino Family.
Dona Teodora was fond of telling a stories of her little son, Jose. The
word “story” meant something new and wonderful to Jose. He would sit down
to listen, full of interest and wonder, when his mother called him for the
regular story time.
He loved the stories his mother told him. He remembered the moral
lesson each story conveyed and made it a part of his education and training.
 TRAVEL MADE EASY

“How was your trip, Wally?” asked Grandma Wally kissed her hands.
“It was fine, Grandma,” answered Wally, yawning while stretching his
arms, and shaking his legs. “I slept almost throughout the way”.
“Why you lazy boy!” exclaimed Grandma. “Then you didn’t see the
beautiful scenery on the countryside”.
“It was so nice riding on the bus,” explained Wally. “The roads now are
very smooth, unlike the first time Father and I visited you after the flood. A
week had passed after that visit, yet my body was still aching all over. We were
like mashed fruits after our ride over those pot marked roads.
“It did not take long for the government to have all the damaged roads
repaired,” agreed Grandma. “Thanks to our government, things are back to
normal again.”
 HOME FOR THE AGED

“It will not be long from now and Tandang Sela will not go begging
anymore, Mel told his sister Shiela.
“Why did you say that?” asked Shiela.
“Didn’t you know?” Mel asked. “The government has decided to help the
beggars, young and old.”
“But how?” asked Shiela, still puzzled.
“There are hundreds of beggars around.
“How can the government help them all?”
“It is like this,” explained Mel. “The young ones will be placed in the care
of their relatives if they have any. The others will be sent to the provinces
where they came from. The children who do not have anybody to look after they
will be placed in orphanages. The old ones who have will be housed in the
Home for the Aged. They will be taken care of by the government.
“How nice,” Sheila said. “It is really a pity to see these beggars, especially
the old ones.”
 BEAUTY
Beauty is seen
In the sunlight
The trees, the birds
Corn growing, people working
Or praying for a good harvest.

Beauty is heard all around

Wind sighing,
Rain falling or a singing humming
An old folk song.

Beauty is in yourself
Good deeds, happy thoughts reflected
In your dreams
In your work,
During peaceful rest.
 THE ANIMAL’S WISH

We beg no fancy garb

To keep us cozily warm
Nor softer bed to rest
Though it should be less hard.

We wish not our liberty

For to serve is our fate
We live as servants forever
To work early and late

To talk is a silly dream

For us doomed mute to remain
But we hear, see and feel
Please to us be a bit kinder.

Be kind a little bit more

And be unkind ten times less
We are poor dump creatures
And we have but few needs.
 LUNETA AND MANILA BAY

Do you know that Manila Bay is the finest harbor in the Philippines? It is
also famous for its beautiful sunset. Tourists observe that
Manila Bay has one of the most glowing sunsets in the world. Roxas Boulevard,
formerly Dewey Boulevard, runs along the shores of Manila Bay. There are
many beautiful buildings along the street, mostly hotels and restaurants.
Luneta, a big park with fountains and ornamental plants, faces the bay. People
can be seen strolling daily and enjoying the cool breeze from the bay. On
Sundays, people go to the Luneta to listen to band concerts and to view
performances at the open theater.
 BEING ON TIME

Arturo was the president of the Grade Six class organization. They agreed
to celebrate Arbor Day with a program and mass planting of fruit trees.
“At what time will the program start?” asked Miss Diaz, their teacher.
“It will start at 7:00 o’clock in the morning, Miss Diaz.” answered Arturo.
“That’s good,” observed Miss Diaz. “It will not be too hot for planting of
trees. I only hope it will begin on schedule.”
“That’s sure, Miss Diaz,” Arturo said. “It will be a new Filipino time
concept.”
“I admire you, Arturo, for saying ‘Filipino time’, which means on time,”
Said Miss Diaz laughing.
“It is really time for us to observed punctuality,” explained Arturo. “So
instead of saying being on time is ‘American time’, we shall call it ‘Filipino
time’”
 THE TRUE FILIPINO

President Quezon’s counsel to the Filipino was: “Make the Filipinos true
citizens of the Philippines. They should be made aware of things connected
with their country and people including their culture and civilizations.”
What did President Quezon want to convey to his countrymen? In his
opinion, we deserved to be called a true Filipino if we have our country’s
welfare at heart. Knowledge and appreciation of our country’s history,
civilization and culture are to be required from each individual. Every citizen
must be concerned with the progress of the nation, in making the country
known to other parts of the world and in achieving peace for the land of his
birth.
 OUR MALAYAN BROTHERS

In some ways we, Filipinos, are similar to our Malayan brothers. This is
so because our ancestors include the Malays and the Indonesians. the Malays
and the Filipinos are similar in height, in complexion and in looks. Philippines
aborigines such as the Ifugaos, Subanuns and Tagbanuas live in much the
same way as the Malaysians and Indonesians. The clothes, the houses,
weapons and art of the Filipino Muslims are similar to those of the Malaysians
and Indonesians.
The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia have the same industries and
products. The languages used in the Philippines include many Malayan words.
Like the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia were former territories of western
countries. Like the Filipinos, the people of Malaysia and Indonesia struggled
hard also for independence. The former MAPHILINDO composed of Malaysia,
the Philippines and Indonesia was organized for mutual protection against
belligerent countries.
 TWO PAINTERS

When Jose Rizal and Juan Luna studying in Madrid, they live together in
boarding house. They used to play jokes on one another.
Juan Luna woke up early one morning and saw Rizal was still asleep. He
hid one of Rizal’s slippers and drew exactly one like it on a card, board. When
Jose woke up, he tried to put on his slippers but he found out that one was
made out of cardboard. “I know who painted this. It is nicely done,” he said.
One day, Juan Luna went out with his friends. Jose decided to draw the
contents of Juan’s room on the closed door with the permission of their
landlady. When Luna arrived, he went directly to his room. He bumped his
head on the closed door. “You are a good painter,” Juan Luna told Rizal.
THE FLOWER OF LOVE
Once there lived a chieftain who had a beautiful daughter named
Liwayway. One day Liwayway went into the woods to gather fruits and flowers
but unfortunately lost her way. She became unconscious when a wild beast
ran after her. He was the son of another chieftain. When they parted, each one
knew they were in love with each other.
One day the young man was going away to fight the white men who had
invaded their land. The lovers promised never to forget each other saying
“Sumpa kita.” but the warrior never came back. In sorrow, the maiden killed
herself. Sometime later, shrubs with fragrant flowers grew on her grave. People
believed that Liwayway’s love grew and bloomed. It became a custom for young
lovers taken of their faithful love. They whispered “I promise” (Sumpa kita) to
each other. In time, the flowers became known as sampaguita. It is adopted as
our national flower because of its fragrance and simplicity.
 FOOD AND DRINKS OF THE ANCIENT FILIPINOS

Rice was the staple food of the ancient Filipinos. They cooked it in pots
and in bamboos. Our forefathers’ diet included also various species of fish
caught in rivers and lakes; meat from carabaos, deer, hogs, chickens and
edible birds; vegetables, tubers like sweet potato, spices like pepper and garlic;
and fruits like bananas, oranges, guavas and mangoes.
There were also many kinds of wine and drinks on the islands. The tuba
which was taken from the coconut palms was the champagne of the early
Filipinos. Among the popular wines were the Visayan pangasi, fermented from
rice; the Visayan gauilang distilled from sugar cane and the igorot tapuy, taken
from rice.
Although the early Filipinos were heavy drinkers, they seldom lost their
senses when drunk. They only became lively, talkative and witty when
intoxicated. Even after a heavy drink, their hands never trembled and they
could manage to weigh their gold correct!
 SUPERSTITIONS
“Please tell us about some of our superstitious beliefs, Grandmother,”
pleaded Elvi as she saw the old woman sitting by the window.”We will discuss
them in the class tomorrow.”
“Listen and I will tell you about man’s three friends. These are three
superstitious beliefs about animals,” Grandma answered, putting down the
shorts she was mending.
“Tell us about them,” said Elvi excitedly.
“One of them is the rooster who is up before dawn and crows on the
rooftops,” said Grandmother. “It is the biddings its master to get up and go
forth to earn his living.
“The second one is the cat who announces the coming of visitor by
washing its face so it may look presentable to its master’s guests.”
“And the third is the dog that can smell danger and death. It barks to
warn its master of the presence of any stranger who might do him harm. When
a dog howls with sorrow it is said that it smells death coming its master’s way.
 TELL THE TRUTH
Don’t be afraid, Little Johnny, my boy,
Open the door and go in;
The longer you wait before telling your fault
The harder it is to begin.

No wonder you stand with a pitiful face

And fear the confession to make;
For you know when you’re naughty the worst of it all
Is making your mother’s heart ache.

Have courage, dear boy, never mind if your shoes

Are muddy and wet, and all that;
Never mind if your clothes have been terribly torn
And you have ruined your pretty new hat.

Go in like man, and tell Mother the truth

Like a brave little lad, and you’ll see
How happy a boy who confesses his fault,
And is truthful and honest as can be.
 THE LEGEND OF LAKE BUHI
Grandmother was relating the story of Lake Buhi to her grandchildren.
According to her, Buhi was a town at bottom of the lake.
Once upon a time the people of this enchanted town lived in abundance.
But as the people became wealthy they forgot all the about God and so God
punished them. Their town sank beneath the earth overnight and in its place
there rose a beautiful lake.
When the weather was warm and clear as a mirror, it is said that one
can look down into the bottom of the lake. The people can be seen doing their
everyday tasks. Some are cultivating their lands, others are building houses
and smoke can be seen coming from the kitchen as woman cook the family
meals.
It is also said that the tiniest fish in the world, found in Lake Buhi, are
trimmings of abaca fiber as the people in the Lake continue to make hats out of
abaca for which the town was once famous.
 DAY OF FREEDOM
For more than three hundred years, Spain ruled our land. The Spanish
flag flew in our and to show that the Philippines was Spain’s territory. Then,
the Americans came. They freed us from Spanish rule. For fifty years we were
governed by the Americans. Our flag was allowed to fly side by side with the
American flag. We were permitted to establish our own government but under
the control and supervision of the Americans.
In 1941, the Japanese invaded the Philippines. Under the Japanese, we
suffered three years of hunger, fear and misery. With the help of the
Americans, our country was freed from the Japanese invaders.
Once more, peace came to our country. The fourth of July, now known
as the Fil-American Friendship Day, marked the completion of Philippine
Independence from foreign rule. It was on the fourth of July that we were
granted total freedom.
 AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN
An American soldier called Gregorio del Pilar was an officer and a
gentleman. Del Pilar was the youngest general of the Philippine revolution.
When the revolution broke out he was only seventeen. He was brave and
gallant soldier. He was only twenty four years old when he died fighting at
Tirad Pass.
Gregorio del Pilar was born in Bulacan, Bulacan. He was a nephew of
Marcelo H. del Pilar. He became the favorite of General Emilio Aguinaldo who
took the very young soldier with him wherever he went. When the fighting
between the Americans and the Filipinos became intense, General Emilio
Aguinaldo had to retreat to the mountains. General del Pilar and his sixty men
stood at Tirad Pass to cover the retreat. The narrow pass was in Palanan,
Isabela. Three hundred American soldiers fought against del Pilar’s sixty men.
But del Pilar and his men fought bravely until a bullet stuck him dead.
 ABELENS, A NEW MOUNTAIN TRIBE

The Abelens are small people, almost of pygmy size. The average height
of a grown up girls four feet and a young man about four feet and eight inches.
They are entirely different from the Negritoes among whom they have lived for a
thousands of years. Abelens have long straight hair, not curly like that of the
Negritoes. Their complexion is light brown much lighter than the dark distinct
red tint on their hair. Their eyes are brown. Their features are fine. They are
quite a savage people. they used to make drinking cups from skulls of their
enemies. Although they know the Negrito language, the Abelens have a
language of their own.
 THE HOMING PIGEONS

During the first World War, both the army and the navy felt a great need
for some way to send messages back to their headquarters. Sometimes a
tornadoed ship needed to send wireless message to land. Men in a sinking ship
were lost unless a passing ship chanced upon them. Batallions sent out on
scouting trips were sometimes gunned down by enemies. A soldier sent with a
message for help was oftentimes caught. Even messengers in airplanes were
not safe. The enemy usually shot the planes and kept the messengers as
prisoners. So, pigeons were trained as messengers. They have strong love for
their homes. Most of the birds move from one home to another but the pigeons
have one home to which they always return. Pigeons even when taken away far
from home, always fly swiftly back to their habitations.
 THE LOBSTER AND THE CRAB

One day Lobster and Crab met.

“I have ten claws,” boasted Crab. “I am the great Crab which the land people
like best to eat. We, crabs are covered with head shield.
“We are knight belonging to the Order of the Crustacea,” cried lobster.
“What does that mean?” asked Crab.
“Crustacea means covered with a crust or shell,” explained Lobster.
“It is the same with us” said Crab. “Our claws and bodies are made of
rings of shell joined together by sockets. We use our claws for walking and for
tearing our food.”
“Land people like to eat us,” said Lobster. “When we are cooked, we turn
into a bright red color but in the water, we are green.
 A LETTER OF INVITATION

26 del Pilar Street

Sampaloc, Manila
March 15, 2004
Dear Nina,
My parents are going to give a party on the evening of my graduation,
March 29. It will be held in our house on del Pilar Street. Please come and
bring along your brother, Milo, and your sister, Ester. My father has prepared
some very exciting parlor games which I am sure you and your sister and
brother will enjoy. There will be also a program prepared by my elder sister,
Nora. The party starts at six o’clock. You can go home at nine so you will have
plenty of time to enjoy the party. We are hoping to see you all.

Your friend,
Gina