VEGETABLES

Some animals eat only meat and they are

called carnivores. Other animals eat only
plants and these animals are called
herbivores. The rest of the animals,
including humans, are omnivores.
Omnivores eat all kinds of food, both meat
and plants. This means in order to be
healthy, people must eat a variety of foods.
Vegetarians are people who don’t eat meat.
Adults and kids need to eat vegetables so
they can get the important vitamins and minerals that vegetables contain. Kids
need to eat foods that contain the mineral calcium for strong bones and healthy
teeth. Kids grow fast and their bones grow fast too. Kids need calcium to build
healthy adult teeth after they lose their baby teeth. Broccoli and spinach are two
vegetables that contain lots of calcium. Bright colored vegetables contain lots of
vitamins and minerals. What are some bright colored vegetables? Red and yellow
peppers are certainly brightly colored. So aren’t orange carrots. Carrots and bright
red tomatoes help to keep the heart healthy. Green beans and lettuce are good for
keeping the heart healthy too. Other healthy bright green vegetables are green
peas, broccoli and celery. Vegetables that grow underground are healthy because
they get minerals from the soil. These root vegetables include carrots, beets,
potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, parsnips and onions.

1. Animals that eat only meat are called

a. Carnivores b. Herbivores c. Omnivores

2. People who don’t eat meat are called

a. Carnivores b. Omnivores c. Vegetarians

3. Kids need to eat foods that contain calcium in order

a. To have a healthy heart
b. To have strong bones and teeth
c. To grow tall

4. Which of these vegetables is brightly colored?

a. Carrot b. Potato c. Both carrot and potato

5. Which of these vegetables is a root vegetable?

a. Green bean b. Celery c. Beet
 Meteors

There are lots of objects that we see in the sky.

During the day we see the sun. After the sun sets in
the evening we see mostly the stars. Not all the lights
in the sky that we see are really stars. Of course, we
see the moon. Some of the other lights in the sky are
planets. Planets revolve around the sun like earth
does. Once in awhile someone will see what they call a shooting star. A
shooting star looks like a star that is moving quickly across the sky. Some
people believe that seeing a shooting star will bring them good luck. It’s
hard to find a shooting star because they disappear fast. The correct
name for a shooting star is meteor. Besides very large objects like stars,
planets and moons, space has lots of little objects. These can be rocks in
space left over from old planets. These objects can even be as small as a
speck of dust. These objects are called meteorites. When a meteorite
gets close to the earth, it gets pulled towards earth by gravity. Earth is
surrounded by atmosphere. Atmosphere is made up of air and clouds. A
meteorite blows up in the earth’s atmosphere. This makes the short
bright moving light in the night sky. A meteorite turns into a meteor.

1. During the day what do we see in the sky?

a. Sun b. Planets c. Stars

2. At night the sky is filled mostly with

a. Moon b. Planets c. Stars

3. Some people believe that seeing a shooting star brings

a. Good health b. Good luck c. Bad luck

4. A shooting star is really a

a. Meteor b. Meteorite c. Moon

5. A meteor is pulled to earth by

a. Atmosphere b. Gravity c. The moon
 The Amazing Giraffe

Giraffes are the tallest animals on earth. Male giraffes can

grow to a height of about 17 feet. If you lived in a two-story
house an adult giraffe could look into your bedroom window
on the second floor. Giraffes only live on the continent of
Africa. The only giraffes in the United States are found in zoos
or animal parks. Visitors love to see the giraffes because they
are so tall. Besides standing on long legs, giraffes have the
longest neck of any animal. The neck of a giraffe can be eight
feet long. Giraffes love to eat leaves. With their great height,
giraffes easily eat leaves from the tops of acacia trees. Giraffes
get enough food because no other animals can reach the same
food that giraffes like. Giraffes spend most of their time eating. Giraffes don’t sleep
much. They just take short naps while standing up. Giraffes don’t drink much water.
They get most of the water they need from the leaves they eat. It is very hard for
an adult giraffe to get a drink of water from a stream or pool. Giraffes are beautiful
animals. They have an unusual coat that has large brown spots on a cream-colored
background. There are many different kinds of giraffes across Africa. Each kind of
giraffe has a slightly different shape to their spots. A giraffe’s coat pattern helps it
to blend in with the landscape in which they live.

1. Which word best describes giraffes?

a. Fastest b. Tallest c. Biggest

2. Where do giraffes naturally live?

a. Africa b. Australia c. Asia

3. What do giraffes eat?

a. Grasses b. Leaves c. Rodents

4. When do giraffes sleep?

a. All night b. All afternoon c. They take short naps

5. Why do giraffes have a spotted coat?

a. It is beautiful
b. It blends with the landscape
c. It stands out in water