Name: Date: Bow Down, Shadrach by Joy Cowley Getting him up the steps was the hardest part. Hannah bribed while Mikey threatened, and Sky, holding both doors open, kept yelling at them to hurry. Hannah waved a bunch of grass under Shadrach's nose, saying, "You don't realize that this is a matter of life or death. Your life, Shadrach!" At the other end, Mikey pushed and growled, "Move, you big dog's dinner! After much balking and snorting, Shadrach suddenly changed his mind and lurched up the steps, straight through the entrance, and into the hallway of the school. Sky and Mikey quickly closed the doors. It was a small school, with only four classrooms off the main hall. They had no trouble coaxing Shadrach into the nearest classroom, because the sweet smell of apples from school lunches hung in the air. They moved a couple of old, wooden desks aside to give the huge horse a place to stand. The clomp, clomp of his hooves on the floor made Hannah and Mikey nervous. "You stay here, Mikey, while I check to make sure everyone has gone home for the day," Hannah whispered. "While you're at it, see if you can find a bucket in the janitor's closet, and bring Shadrach some water," Mikey hissed. "He's terribly thirsty." "Why are you whispering?" asked Sky. "Don't you think anyone can hear the clompity-clomp?" If there's anyone here." "Shhhhhh," cautioned Hannah, although she knew Sky was right, and she crept out into the hall. "Mikey, look at these picture books. Read me this story about a horse. Please? Please?" begged Sky. "Not now," said Mikey, taking his schoolbag off his shoulders. Like the rest of him, his lunch bag had been soaked by the runaway hose, but fortunately the lunch inside was covered with plastic. He began to unwrap it but then saw that it was squashed six sandwiches turned into one soggy mass of bread, lettuce, and peanut butter. He remembered that he'd used his bag as a cushion in the freight truck, and he felt worse because he could only blame himself. He was hungry, but he'd have to be starving to death to eat that mess. Soon Hannah returned with a plastic bucket of water. "All clear," she sighed as she set the bucket in front of Shadrach, who drank quickly and noisily. "Poor thirsty horse," said Hannah, kissing him on the nose. "I'll get you some more." "Do you think you should?" Mikey asked. He was aware that the marks they were making with their wet clothes and shoes would be nothing compared with a puddle from Shadrach, and this was a school, not a barn. 1. Which word has a PREFIX underlined? A. began B. unwrap C. unwrap D. sandwiches 2. In the passage, the word coaxing means A. forcing. B. pulling. C. pushing. D. persuading. 1
3. Which word has a SUFFIX underlined? A. runaway B. fortunately C. fortunately D. runaway 4. Which word has a ROOT word underlined? A. began B. unwrap C. unwrap D. sandwiches _GCPS_05_RD_RSVC_T3 (_GCPS_05_RD_RSVC_T3) 2
The Chimp Who Learned Language from The Story of Nim by Anna Michel You have read that Doctor Doolittle talked with animals. But you know that he was a make-believe person. His story did not really happen. Now you are going to read a true story. The story is about real people who talked with a real animal. It is the story of Nim, a chimp who learned sign language. On November 21, 1973, a baby chimp was born. He was named Nim. At that time, Nim seemed just like any other baby chimp. But he became very special. He became one of the first chimps who could really "talk" to people. Of course, he could not make the sounds that people make when they speak. But he was taught to "talk" with his hands the way some deaf people do. For four years many people worked with him to help him learn to talk. As a baby, he was placed with the LaFarge family. From his first day with the LaFarges, Nim was "talked" to in American Sign Language, the language of the deaf. Nim loved his family. He watched the signs they made as they talked to him. And slowly, in the way a baby begins to understand words, Nim began to understand signs. When Mrs. LaFarge brought Nim his bottle, she would touch her thumb to her mouth, making the sign for drink. Then she would shape Nim's hands to make the drink sign. One day, when Nim was two-and-a-half months old, Mrs. LaFarge held up his bottle. Nim put his thumb to his mouth and signed drink. This was the first time Nim had made a sign all by himself. He learned more signs quickly. Soon Nim was making signs for up, sweet, give, eat... and more. Then he started "school." Nim's school was a special classroom, just for him. There, his teachers could "talk" with him all day. Nim and his teachers talked about everything they did. The teachers made notes of his signs. When he had used a sign for five days, and different teachers had seen the sign, it was counted as a word he knew. Nim was taught to do for himself, and clean up after he ate. Each morning he would sign toothbrush happily. Nim never minded brushing his teeth. He loved the taste of the toothpaste. Next came hand washing. First, Nim washed his hands. Then, he washed his feet. When he was finished, he asked for hand cream. Now it was time to get dressed. He had to sign shirt before putting on his shirt. Then it was time for Nim to eat. He loved banana pancakes. After eating, Nim wanted to wash the dishes. Give, he signed to get the dishcloth. He turned on the water, signing water. Then he rubbed the dishes until they were clean. As Nim learned more words, he started to put signs together. He would say me hat or give hat if he wanted the hat his teacher was holding. If Nim wanted to play, he would sign play me Nim and tickle me more. Like a young child, Nim could understand much more than he could say. Nim learned that he could name things and get what he needed. But he could also use language to fool people. His teachers would stop what they were doing whenever Nim would sign bathroom. So sometimes Nim would sign bathroom just to get out of a lesson. Sometimes he signed sleep, even though he wasn't tired. But his teachers learned to spot when Nim was not telling the truth. He wouldn't look them in the eye when he made those signs. 3
By the time he was almost four years old, Nim had learned to use signs for 125 words. His teachers then started to work with other animals. Nim went to live on an island with other chimps who also knew sign language. For many years people wished they could talk with animals. But they thought that only make-believe people like Doctor Doolittle talked with animals. They thought that, in real life, it couldn't be done. But the people who worked with Nim tried to do what "couldn't be done" and they did it. Used by permission of Glencoe/McGraw Hill 5. Which word is a synonym for the word started? A. ended B. began C. became D. developed 6. What is the suffix of the word finished? A. d B. ed C. shed D. finish 7. Which word is an antonym for the word different? A. odd B. same C. actual D. crazy 8. What is the root word of the word rubbed? A. rub B. ruby C. rubb D. rubber 9. Which word is an antonym for raise? A. up B. rays C. lower D. praise 4
Answer Key 1. B) unwrap 2. D) persuading. 3. C) fortunately 4. C) unwrap 5. B) began 6. B) ed 7. B) same 8. A) rub 9. C) lower 5