RIVERSPRINGS SCHOOL INC.

19 A. Esguerra St. Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City 1602

Instruction: Read the story carefully and answer the questions below.

“An Honestly Fun Camp”

Will couldn’t wait for September when school would start. It was early August, and he
was at the same summer camp he had been going to for the last five years. His dad went to the
camp when he was a boy and loved it, so Will didn’t want to disappoint his dad by telling him
that he didn’t even like it. By the middle of August, Will had had more than enough. He had had
enough of the horses, enough of the baseball games, enough of the canoeing and enough of
the lousy camp food. He wrote to his mom and asked her if she would pick him up early, but he
didn’t want his mom to tell his dad. She responded in a letter which said, “I can’t do that. I am
always honest with your dad. If you really want to leave, I will talk to him about it.” Will was still
too worried about disappointing his dad, so he wrote back to his mom that he would stay for
the last two weeks and try to make the best of it. He asked his mom if she would make his
favorite meal when he got home. During that last week, Will was looking so forward to the meal
his mom would be making that every time he ate a camp meal, he imagined he was eating his
mom’s cooking. All of a sudden, the food didn’t taste as bad. Will decided to be honest with his
camp counselors. He told the head horseback counselor that he wasn’t comfortable with the
horse he had been assigned. The counselor asked Will which horse he might feel better riding.
Will was then assigned to Misty for the last week, and he started to like horseback riding. Will
never like playing baseball because he didn’t like playing 1st base. He told the baseball
counselor, and the counselor switched him to play catcher. Will started to actually like baseball.
As for canoeing, Will always ended up sitting in the bow of the canoe. He told his counselor that
he would like to try sitting in the stern. Once he was able to take on the role of the stern
paddler, he started to enjoy canoeing because he liked steering the canoe. When Will’s parents
came to pick him up from camp, he said to them in all honesty, “This was the best summer at
camp ever.” He then added that he couldn’t wait for next year’s camp, and he might even want
to stay for an extra week or two.
 RIVERSPRINGS SCHOOL INC.
19 A. Esguerra St. Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City 1602

1. Why would Will’s dad want Will to go to the same camp he went to as a young boy?
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2. Why did Will think his dad would be disappointed if he learned that Will didn’t like the
camp?
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3. Why do you think the food started to taste better when Will thought about his mom’s
cooking?
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4. Which horse did Will think he would feel better riding?
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5. What was the turning point that helped Will start to like camp?
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 RIVERSPRINGS SCHOOL INC.
19 A. Esguerra St. Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City 1602

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Instruction: Read the story carefully and answer the questions below.

Emma’s Favorite Restaurant

Emma’s Favorite Restaurant When Emma and her family go out to dinner, they always
go to their favorite restaurant. Their favorite restaurant is an Italian restaurant, and they
usually go once a week. Emma always gets ravioli, and her little brother Josh always gets
spaghetti with meatballs. Their parents like to try different things. One week when they were
getting ready to go out to dinner, Emma’s father suggested they try the new restaurant in town.
Emma and Josh both moaned and groaned. The new restaurant was Lebanese. All Emma and
Josh knew about Lebanese food was that it often revolved around chick peas and grape leaves.
“You might actually end up liking it if you give it a try,” said their mom. Their dad added, “Let’s
try it once, and if you don’t like it, we will go back to our ‘tried and true’ spot next week.”
Emma and Josh got into the backseat of the car and rolled their eyes at each other. Josh asked,
“If we don’t like it, can we get a pizza on the way home?” “I highly doubt you will go hungry, but
if it makes you feel better, we will grab a pizza on the way home.” When they arrived at the
restaurant, a host met them at the door and greeted them with enthusiasm. He led them to a
table and said, “We are very happy that you are trying our new restaurant. If you have any
questions about the menu or need any help choosing a menu item, your server will be with you
shortly. The restaurant was looked pretty cool, and the host was super nice. Emma and Josh
began to relax a little bit. They actually started to think it would be fun to try something new.
When the server came over, he told them what some of his favorite meals were. Emma and
Josh were surprised to learn that the restaurant served something similar to ravioli, and it
served a meatball dish. Emma ordered manti, dumplings filled with spiced lamb and covered in
tomato sauce. Josh ordered kibbeh, meatballs made with wheat and spiced ground lamb and
served with garlic sauce. After Emma and Josh took the first bites of their dishes, they paused
 RIVERSPRINGS SCHOOL INC.
19 A. Esguerra St. Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City 1602

before saying anything. Emma was thinking that the manti tasted different than ravioli, but she
didn’t think it was bad. Josh was thinking his meatballs looked very similar to the meatballs that
come with spaghetti, but the sauce was white, not red like he was used to. He liked the kibbeh,
though. They each took a few more bites, and then they both declared, “You were right, Mom.
This food is pretty tasty.” When the meal was over, Emma said, “I think I have another favorite
restaurant. Now I have a favorite Italian restaurant and a favorite Lebanese restaurant.” Josh
agreed and asked, “Can we switch between the two restaurants for our weekly dinners out?” “I
think that is a great idea,” said Emma and Josh’s parents. “Maybe we can even try the Thai
restaurant sometime soon,” said Emma.

1. Why would Emma and Josh have moaned and groaned about trying a new restaurant?
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2. What do you think the phrase “tried and true” means?
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3. Why would Emma and her family need help in choosing a menu item?
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4. Which dish was similar to ravioli?
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5. What do you think the moral of the story is?
 RIVERSPRINGS SCHOOL INC.
19 A. Esguerra St. Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City 1602

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Instruction: Read the story carefully and answer the questions below.

Why Does the Ocean Have Waves?

The ocean is never still. Whether observing from the beach or a boat, we expect to see
waves on the horizon. Waves are created by energy passing through water, causing it to move
in a circular motion. However, water does not actually travel in waves. Waves transmit energy,
not water, across the ocean and if not obstructed by anything, they have the potential to travel
across an entire ocean basin. Waves are most commonly caused by wind. Wind-driven waves,
or surface waves, are created by the friction between wind and surface water. As wind blows
across the surface of the ocean or a lake, the continual disturbance creates a wave crest. These
types of waves are found globally across the open ocean and along the coast. More potentially
hazardous waves can be caused by severe weather, like a hurricane. The strong winds and
pressure from this type of severe storm causes storm surge, a series of long waves that are
created far from shore in deeper water and intensify as they move closer to land. Other
hazardous waves can be caused by underwater disturbances that displace large amounts of
water quickly such as earthquakes, landslides, or volcanic eruptions. These very long waves are
called tsunamis. Storm surge and tsunamis are not the types of waves you imagine crashing
down on the shore. These waves roll upon the shore like a massive sea level rise and can reach
far distances inland. The gravitational pull of the sun and moon on the earth also causes waves.
These waves are tides or, in other words, tidal waves. It is a common misconception that a tidal
wave is also a tsunami. The cause of tsunamis is not related to tide information at all but can
occur in any tidal state.
 RIVERSPRINGS SCHOOL INC.
19 A. Esguerra St. Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City 1602

1. What creates waves?

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2. What could be an obstruction to waves?
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3. Why do you think wind is the most common cause of wave creation?
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4. What are some causes of hazardous waves?
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5. What is another name for a certain type of wave?
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 RIVERSPRINGS SCHOOL INC.
19 A. Esguerra St. Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City 1602

Instruction: Read the story carefully and answer the questions below.

The Singing Plants

Todd awoke to singing. The singing was light and airy. It reminded him of a sunrise. Well,
that’s appropriate, thought Todd, it’s so early the sun is probably just rising. As his mind grew
more awake, Todd realized that he didn’t know where the music was coming from. He checked
his radio, as well as his phone. Nothing. He stretched and looked around his room. Nothing in
here would be singing, he thought. Todd got out of bed and walked toward his window,
thinking that maybe one of his neighbors was playing music. The music didn’t get louder as he
walked toward the window, and when he opened the window, he could tell l that the music did
not come from outside. Todd walked toward his bedroom door, but was hesitant to go out into
the hallway. It was still pretty dark, and the rest of his family was still asleep. That always made
him nervous to leave his room. It’s only singing, though, there’s nothing scary about that, Todd
thought. He opened the door, and could hear the music coming from downstairs. He walked
downstairs and followed the music into the kitchen. There, he found the source of the music,
but he couldn’t believe his eyes! The plants on the windowsill above the sink were singing!
Singing plants! How is this possible? There were 3 of them, all gently swaying and singing
together. Todd sat and watched them for a while, trying to understand how and why the plants
had all of a sudden become musical plants. Their song faded away after a few minutes, and the
plants became still. Todd stayed to watch, just in case they started singing again. His Dad found
him sitting in the kitchen watching the plants. “What’s going on, Todd?” his dad asked. “What
kind of plant are these?” Todd asked in return. “They’re just little houseplants, they won’t grow
too much bigger than they are now. Why?” “They were singing. I didn’t know plants could
sing!” exclaimed Todd. “Todd, plants don’t sing. Were you dreaming?” Dad asked, concerned.
“No, really, they were! That’s what woke me up this morning!” “Hmmm…” Dad sighed. He
walked over to the sink, grabbed a cup, and began to water the plants. He jumped back in
surprise when the flowers started singing a happy little tune! “Holy cow! They must have been
 RIVERSPRINGS SCHOOL INC.
19 A. Esguerra St. Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City 1602

thirsty! I’ve never seen anything like this!” Dad walked over to the computer and did a quick
Internet search. Todd walked over to join him, and they must have read over 20 websites
together. Not a single one said anything about singing plants. “Well, I don’t know how or why it
happened, but we are the lucky caretakers of some very special plants!” said Dad. Todd and his
dad made sure to take very good care of their singing plants, and enjoyed their songs for many
years.

1. Retell the story in your own words.

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2. How would a different setting have changed the story?

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3. What does “hesitant” mean in the 3rd paragraph? How do you know?

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 RIVERSPRINGS SCHOOL INC.
19 A. Esguerra St. Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City 1602

4. The plants sang at sunrise and again as they were being watered. When else do you
think they might sing?

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5. What is another way Todd and his dad could find out if there are singing plants
anywhere else in the world?

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 RIVERSPRINGS SCHOOL INC.
19 A. Esguerra St. Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City 1602

Instruction: Read the story carefully and answer the questions below.

Liza’s First Spelling Bee Liza has loved words for as long as she can remember. She loves
the sounds words make, the shapes of words, and the way letters are arranged in words. Some
of her favorite words are lollipop, balloon and purple. When Liza has free time at school, she
likes to write down words and doodle on the letters to create fun drawings. Sometimes she
takes the drawings home to her parents, and sometimes her teacher pins them to the
classroom bulletin board. One day, Liza’s art teacher, Mr. Jordan, walked into her classroom
and noticed one of Liza’s recent pieces of word art. He was very impressed with her creativity
and her word choice. After all, not many fourth graders know the word sanctuary and how to
spell it, let alone know what it means. Liza’s word art turned the word sanctuary into a
beautiful image with birds, rabbits and butterflies in a natural, undisturbed setting with trees
and a pond. Mr. Jordan waited until the class went to recess, and then talked to Liza’s teacher,
Mrs. Roberts, about Liza’s talent. Mrs. Roberts said, “She is a very good artist, and she is also
quite talented at spelling.” “I’m sure the fact that she turns the letters of words into characters
and images to form her artistic pieces helps her remember the spellings. She could do very well
in a spelling bee, and her doodling would help her study,” said Mr. Jordan. “I could help her too
by creating word art with her,” he added. “That’s a great idea. I will ask Liza if she is interested
in entering the spelling bee,” Mrs. Roberts replied. “It is only three weeks away, so she would
have to study pretty hard,” she added. Later that day Mrs. Roberts asked Liza if she could stay
for a couple of minutes after class dismissal. Liza asked Mrs. Roberts if she was in trouble, and
Mrs. Roberts replied, “Quite the contrary.” Liza was still nervous, but she stayed to see what
her teacher wanted. When Liza found out Mrs. Roberts wanted her to enter the spelling bee,
she was thrilled and honored. Usually only fifth graders enter the spelling bee. Liza was even
more excited when she heard that Mr. Jordan was going to help her study with the use of art.
Liza and Mr. Jordan met every day after school for the next three weeks. Mrs. Roberts had
given them word lists to study. Liza studied hard by turning each word into a drawing. When
 RIVERSPRINGS SCHOOL INC.
19 A. Esguerra St. Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City 1602

she wasn’t sure what a word meant, Mr. Jordan would tell her and help her come up with an
idea for the word art. When the big day arrived, Liza felt well prepared, but she was still
nervous. There were 26 fifth graders and 3 fourth graders in the spelling bee. After the first
three rounds, there were still 21 contestants; Liza was one of them. Liza was holding her own
and continued to successfully spell difficult words including economy, avenue, tissue and
station over the next several rounds. She knew her word art was helping her succeed because
she could visualize the words. After six more rounds, there were only three contestants
remaining – Liza and two fifth graders. It was Liza’s turn to spell. Her word was migration. She
remembered drawing flying ducks for the word. She pictured her art, and spelled the word
correctly. One of the fifth graders wasn’t so lucky during this round, and it was now down to
Liza and one other contestant, a boy named Ben. Ben went first in this round. He was given a
word that Liza knew very well, valley. Ben knew the word too and spelled it without a hitch.
Now Liza had to spell her word correctly to stay in the bee; otherwise, Ben would win. She
listened carefully as her w ord was announced. The word sounded familiar, but it wasn’t one of
the words she had studied. The word was tolerable. Liza thought about words that contained
similar sounds. She knew how to spell tolerate and notable. Could she use that knowledge to
spell tolerable? She did, and it worked. Liza made it to the next round. Ben listened to his next
word and hesitated for quite a while. He took his time and eventually spelled ceremony
correctly. Liza’s next word was deception. This too was a word she had not studied. She thought
and thought about the word and listened to the sounds, but in the end, she was one letter off in
her spelling. Liza was slightly sad she didn’t win, but at the same time she was proud of herself
for making it this far in her first spelling bee. Plus, she knew she could come back next year and
try again.
 RIVERSPRINGS SCHOOL INC.
19 A. Esguerra St. Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City 1602

1. What are some similarities in Liza’s favorite words?

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2. What do you think the word “sanctuary” might mean based on Liza’s word art?
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3. Why would turning letters into characters and images help Liza remember how to spell
words?
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4. How many students didn’t make it past the first three rounds?
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5. Which letter do you think Liza missed on her final word and what letter might she have
used in its place?
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