16
Reading
Grade 8
®
Published by Spectrum®
an imprint of Carson-Dellosa Publishing LLCGreensboro, NC
CD-704586 Reading Gr 8.indd 1 6/9/14 3:53 PM
Spectrum®
An imprint of Carson-Dellosa Publishing LLCP.O. Box 35665Greensboro, NC 27425 USA
© 2015 Carson-Dellosa Publishing LLC. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act, no part of this pulication may be reproduced, stored, or distributed in any form or by any means (mechanically, electronically, recording, etc.) without the prior written consent of Carson-Dellosa Publishing LLC. Spectrum® is an imprint of Carson-Dellosa Publishing LLC.
Printed in the USA • All rights reserved. ISBN 978-1-4838-1221-2
01-227147811
CD-704586 Reading Gr 8.indd 2 6/9/14 3:53 PM
1Spectrum Reading Grade 8 Table of Contents
The New Americans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Starting Over . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4New Neighbor, Nuevo Amigo . . . . . . . . . . . 6Island of Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Chickens in the Neighborhood . . . . . . . . . 10Here a Chick, There a Chick . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Eggs-perimenting with Eggs . . . . . . . . . . . . 14The Hen Pen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16An Egg-cellent Recipe! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Powered by Sunshine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Taking Flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Searching for Amelia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Facing Fear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Flying Through the Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Up Close and Personal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Honored with Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32But Is It Art? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Stuck in the Pits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Fossil Hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Working with History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Coming Back to Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42An Ancient Memento . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44The Greatest Show on Earth! . . . . . . . . . . . 46The Tumbling Tennenbaums . . . . . . . . . . . . 48The Big Truth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50Living the Dreams of Cirque du Soleil . . . . 52Hidden Danger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54An Avalanche for Breakfast . . . . . . . . . . . . 56Canine Rescue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58An Icy Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Planting a Seed for the Future . . . . . . . . . . 62Curiosity in Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64Out of This World Experience . . . . . . . . . . . 66Moon Veggies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68Home, Home on the Moon . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70Bottle Rocket Blues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72Anime: Art for All Ages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74Finding a Way to Comic Con . . . . . . . . . . . 76Born to Draw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78The Sturgeon General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80Fishing for Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82Going the Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84Find a Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86The Age of Aquarius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88A Painful Beach Adventure . . . . . . . . . . . . 90The Giant Jellyfish of Japan . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Every Lap Counts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94Rebecca Ling for Mayor! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96The Road to the Presidency . . . . . . . . . . . . 98Democrats and Republicans . . . . . . . . . . 100
Dear President Obama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102A Heated Battle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104Evacuation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106Jumping into Danger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108What Remains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110Living Online: A Brief History . . . . . . . . . . . 112Good Social Media Practices . . . . . . . . . 114Worth a Thousand Laughs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116The Bill Gates Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118Of Posting and Posters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120Where Are the Bees? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122Honey Hill Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124Sweet as Honey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126Summer of the Bees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Table of Contents
CD-704586 Reading Gr 8.indd 1 6/9/14 3:53 PM
2Spectrum Reading Grade 8
What are some concerns Americans have about immigration?
1 Thepoem“TheNewColossus”isengravedonabronzeplaqueatthebaseoftheStatueofLiberty.Itcontainsthefamouslines“Givemeyourtired,yourpoor,yourhuddledmassesyearningtobreathefree,thewretchedrefuseofyourteemingshore.”ManypeopleenteringtheUnitedStatesforthefirsttimeoveracenturyagoweregreetedwiththesewords.
2 Overthepast400years,ournationhasseenmillionsofimmigrants.MostbegantoarrivefromEuropeandfromAfrica.Somewereadventurersandwealthylandowners.Otherscameasslavesorservants.Somewerehighofficials.Asmoreimmigrantssettledhere,thecountrycametobeorganizedastheUnitedStates.Asrecentlyas50yearsago,mostofourimmigrantpopulationcamefromEurope.Today,immigrantscomefromalmosteverycountryintheworld.
3 HowdoimmigrantsbecomecitizensoftheU.S.?Becomingacitizentakesalotofpatience.Italsorequiresagooddealofstudyingandpersistence.FamilybasedimmigrationallowsimmediaterelativesofU.S.citizenstogetvisas.Employmentbasedvisasareoptionsforsome,butvisanumbersarelimitedbytheskillsetoftheworker.
4 Peoplefleeingpersecutionmayseekasylumasrefugees.ThismeansthatAmericaiswillingtoofferasafehavenforacertainnumberofimmigrantswhoareindanger.Thisnumberislimitedto70,000peopleperyear,butthenumberofpeoplehopingtobecomeAmericancitizensisstaggering.In2011,15.5millionimmigrantswerenaturalizedcitizens.Morethan13millionwerelegalpermanentresidents,and11.1millionwereunauthorizedmigrants.
5 Thosewhohaveheldlegalresidenceforatleastfiveyearscanqualifyforfullcitizenship.Theymustbeatleasteighteenyearsold.Theyhavetoshowcontinuousresidencyand“goodmoralcharacter,”aswellaspassEnglishlanguage,civics,andhistoryexams.
6 Immigrantscomebringingtheirreligiousandculturaltraditionswiththem.Somenewarrivalsadjustquickly,whileothersmaintainthecustomsoftheirhomelands.Immigrantscanbewelcomedasreadysourcesoflabor.TheycanalsobeseenascompetitionforscarcejobsandthecauseofloweredwagesandbenefitsforAmericanworkers.
7 Onesourceofcontroversyisthemillionsofmigrantworkerswhodonothavelegalresidency.SomeAmericansseeofferingthesemigrantworkersapathtocitizenshipasafairfirstmoveinreformingimmigrationlaws.Othersbelievethatwhentherearesomanypeoplewhohavewaitedyearsforalegalpathtocitizenship,itisnotrighttoawardthosewhohavenotfollowedthelaws.
8 Anotherissueishowtohandleimmigrantswhoillegallycrossthenation’sborder.Shouldweopenapathofcitizenshiptothem?Whileplentyofpeoplebelievethatweshouldgiveamnestytotheseimmigrants,therearejustasmanywhobelieveweshouldnot.OthersthinkthatweshouldmakesureourborderpatrolisstrongwhilestillprovidingassistancetothosewhowishtobecomeresidentsoftheUnitedStates.
9 Sinceitsbirthmorethan200yearsago,peoplehavewantedtobecomecitizensofacountrythatwillofferthemabetterlife.Theycomefromallovertheworldandarrivebyboat,byplane,oronfoot.Howeverimmigrationcontroversiesareresolved,wecanallbenefitfromthemanydifferentculturesimmigrantsbringtoAmericatoenrichourownperspectives.
The New Americans
CD-704586 Reading Gr 8.indd 2 6/9/14 3:53 PM
3Spectrum Reading Grade 8
1. Rereadthelinesinparagraph1from“TheNewColossus”thatappearontheStatueofLiberty.Ifyouwereanewimmigranttothiscountry,wouldthispoemmakeyoufeelwelcomed?Explain.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
2. Howarethebackgroundsofimmigrantstodaydifferentthantheywere50yearsago?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
3. Whatdoesthewordcontroversymeaninparagraph7?
______________________________________________________________________________________
4. WhywouldsomeoneseekasylumintheU.S.asarefugee?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
5. Doyouthinktheauthordoesagoodjobofshowingbothsidesofthecontroversysurroundingimmigration?Useexamplesfromthetexttosupportyouranswer.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
6. Doyouknowtheimmigrationhistoryofyourfamily?Tellwhatyoudoknow,includingwhereyourfamilycamefromandwhentheyarrivedinthiscountry.Ifyoudonotknowanythingaboutyourfamily’simmigrationhistory,explainhowyoucouldfindout.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
NAME
CD-704586 Reading Gr 8.indd 3 6/9/14 3:53 PM
4Spectrum Reading Grade 8
Will Chantale’s brother be able to emigrate from Haiti and join his family in America?
1 Chantalesighedandsquirmedslightlyonthegraymetalfoldingchair.Nomatterhowshesat,therewasnowaytogetcomfortable.Herlegswerepracticallynumbfromsittingfornearlytwohoursintheuncomfortableseats.
2 BothChantaleandMrs.Jean-Louishadbeendreadingthisvisit.Chantaledislikedhavingtotranslateforhermother,whowasuncomfortableinherEnglish-speakingabilitiesinpublic.Somethingaboutthepowerlessnesshermotherfeltbecauseshecouldn’tspeakforherselfmadeChantaleextremelyuncomfortable.Mrs.Jean-Louishaddreadedthetripbecauseshewasanxious.Therewasnothingmoreimportanttoherthanreunitingherfamily,yetshehadlittleconfidencethatthemoundsofpaperworkwouldeverresultinhersonbeinggrantedpermissiontomovetotheUnitedStates.
3 Chantaleslouchedagain,tryingtogetcomfortable.Justthen,theheavydooratthecornerofthewaitingroomopenedandawomanwithatiredfacecalled“Jean-Louis?ViolineJean-Louis?”Shemispronouncedthelastname,butChantalehurriedlystoodupandnudgedhermother.
4 Sittinginsidethesmall,crampedoffice,ChantaleandMrs.Jean-LouiswaitedpatientlyforMs.Washingtontosortthroughsomepaperworkonherdeskandtypeforamomentathercomputer.Finally,shefacedthem.“TellmewhatIcandoforyoutoday,”shesaid,smilingunexpectedly.“Youwanttobringyourson...Edgard,Ibelieve...totheUnitedStatesfromHaiti.Isthatcorrect?”sheasked.
5 Mrs.JeanLouislookedatChantaleandnodded.SheunderstoodEnglishandactuallycouldspeakitfairlywell,too,butherconfidence,especiallyinofficialcircumstances,waslacking.SheturnedtoChantaleandspokeinrapidFrench,herhandrestingonherdaughter’sarm.
6 “MymomwantsmetotellyouthatEdgardisallalone.Hewasmarriedbutlosthiswifeandsonintheearthquakein2010.Hehasneverrecoveredfromhislossesandneedstobewithhisfamily.Heneedsafreshstart,anewbeginning.ShesaysthatEdgardisaquick
learnerandahardworker,thathewillbeanassettoAmerica.”
7 “I’msosorryforyourlosses,”saidMs.Washington.“Irememberhearingaboutthehorrorsthataccompaniedthatearthquake.”Sheturnedtohercomputerscreen.“Mrs.Jean-Louis,isitcorrectthatyouimmigratedtotheUnitedStatesin2008,alongwithyourhusband,Georgesanddaughter,Chantale?”Chantale’smothernodded,andMs.Washingtoncontinued.“Andallthreeofyouhavegreencards?”sheasked.Mrs.Jean-Louisnoddedagain,reachingforherpurse.
8 Ms.Washingtonputupahand.“Idon’tneedtoseeitrightnow,”shesaidkindly,“I’mjustcheckingtoseethattheinformationIhaveiscorrect.Asagreencardholder,youmaypetitiontohaveanunmarriedsonordaughterofanyageimmigratetotheUnitedStatesandbecomeapermanentresident.We’llneedtostartbyhavingyoufilloutFormI-130,PetitionforanAlienRelative.We’llneedproofofyourstatusasapermanentresident,aswellasevidenceofyourrelationshipwithEdgardJean-Louis.”
9 Ms.WashingtoncontinuedtogoovertherequirementsandnecessarydocumentsneededforEdgard’simmigration.Chantaletranslatedwhennecessary,butshewasdistractedbythelookonhermother’sface.Itwashope,anditwassomethingChantalehadstoppedassociatingwithhermomyearsago.WhenChantaleandMrs.Jean-Louissteppedoutintothesunshinehalfanhourlater,thesamelookofpeacewasstillonherface.
10 “Youhaveyourphone?”askedMrs.Jean-Louis,huggingherdaughterwithonearm.Chantalenoddedandhandedherphonetohermom.Amomentlater,hermothersmiled.“Edgard?”shebegan.
Starting Over
CD-704586 Reading Gr 8.indd 4 6/9/14 3:53 PM
5Spectrum Reading Grade 8
1. HowareChantale’sandMrs.Jean-Louis’sfeelingsatthebeginningofthestorydifferent?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
2. HowdoesMrs.Jean-Louischangeduringthecourseofthestory?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
3. Ifthestorycontinued,whatdoyouthinkwouldhappennext?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
4. Whichofthesebestdescribesthemainideaofthestory?
_______AHaitian-AmericangirlnamedChantaleisbotheredbyhavingtotranslateforhermother.
_______AyoungHaitianmanloseshiswifeandsoninanearthquake.
_______AHaitianwomanandherdaughtervisittheOfficeofImmigrationtofindouthowtohelpthewoman’sadultsonimmigratetotheUnitedStates.
5. Thisstoryistoldfromthenarrator’spointofview.HowdoyouthinkitwouldbedifferentifitweretoldfromMrs.Washington’spointofview?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
6. DoyouthinkthatimmigrantsshouldbeallowedtopetitionforfamilymemberstocometotheUnitedStatesaspermanentresidents?Whyorwhynot?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
NAME
CD-704586 Reading Gr 8.indd 5 6/9/14 3:53 PM
6Spectrum Reading Grade 8
Will Alexander and Leonardo find a way to communicate?
1 “Alexander,didyoufinishyourhomework?”
2 “Noworries,Mom,it’salldone,”saidAlexanderashesprintedoutthekitchendoorwithasoccerballinhishands.
3 Ifhisparentslethim,hewouldhavegladlyskippeddinnertokeeponpracticingastheskyturnedduskyandthesunstartedtoset.Usually,hewouldpracticehisdrillsbyhimself,sincehislittlesistershowednointerestatallinthegameheloved.Buttodaywasdifferent;somethinghappenedthatchangedhisroutine.TodayAlexandermetLeonardo.
4 Alexander’smomsaidthatthehousenextdoorhadfinallysold,andacoupleandtheirsonfromVillavicencio,Columbia,weremovingin.ShetoldAlexanderthatthesonwasabouthisage.Ithadbeenaweek,butAlexanderhadyettoseeLeonardo.
5 Alexanderwasknownamonghisclassmatesforbeingoutgoing.“Alexandercouldstrikeupaconversationwithagoalpost,”hiscoachwasfondofsaying.
6 Alexandercrossedtheyardandrappedconfidentlyatthecheeryreddoor,andalmostimmediatelyLeonardoappeared.“Hi,mynameisAlexander,”Alexandersaid,asheextendedhishandtoLeonardo.
7 LeonardosmiledshylyandshookAlexander’shand.“Leonardo...mynameisLeonardo,”saidthedarkhairedboyquietly.
8 “Ihaven’tseenyouaroundschoolyet,haveyoustarted?Doyouplayanysports?Howdoyouliketheneighborhood?”Alexanderstartedspewingquestionstoawide-eyedLeonardo.
9 Leonardojustshookhisheadandlookeduncomfortable.Uh oh,thoughtAlexander,I don’t think he understands me.HehelduphissoccerballtoLeonardoandsaid,“Doyouwanttoplay?”hopingLeonardowouldunderstandthegesture,ifnotthewords.ThegrinonLeonardo’sfacewastheanswer.
10 “IplayinVillavicencio,”saidLeonardo.
11 “Great!”respondedAlexander“Let’sgo!”
12 AlexanderandLeonardostartedpassingthesoccerballbackandforthbetweentheirtwoyards.AlexandercouldtellrightawaythatLeonardowasatalentedplayer,betterthanhewashimself.Thehourspedby,andAlexander’smomcalledoutthatdinnerwasready.Alexanderstoppedplayingandpantomimedputtingaforktohismouthandchewing.“It’stimefordinner,”hesaidregretfully.
13 Leonardounderstoodandrepeatedthesentence,“It’stimefordinner.”
14 “Exactly,”saidAlexander,“It’stimefordinner.Canweplayagaintomorrowafterschool?”Alexanderasked,hopingLeonardowouldunderstand.
15 AlexandercouldtellLeonardowasn’tsurewhenheshruggedhisshoulders.Then,Alexandergotagreatidea,“Comewithme!”AlexanderexcitedlygrabbedontoLeonardo’st-shirtandpulledhimtowardhishouse.
16 AlexandertookLeonardotohisroomandstartedrummagingthroughhisbookshelf.“IhaveaSpanishdictionaryheresomewhere,”hemutteredtohimself.Amomentlater,hefoundthesmallorangebookandlookedupthewordsfortomorrow,after,andschool.
17 AlexanderlookeddirectlyatLeonardo,heldupthesoccerball,andsaidmañana,despué de,andla escuela.Hehadnoideaifwhathesaidreallytranslatedintowhatheintended,andhewasrelievedwhenLeonardosmiledandeagerlynoddedhishead.
18 “Mañana!”Alexanderrepeated.
19 “Mañana!”agreedLeonardo.
New Neighbor, Nuevo Amigo
CD-704586 Reading Gr 8.indd 6 6/9/14 3:53 PM
7Spectrum Reading Grade 8
1. NameonewayinwhichAlexanderandLeonardoaredifferentandonewayinwhichtheyaresimilar.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
2. Givetwoexamplesofwaysthattheboysfoundtocommunicatewithoneanother.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
3. Inparagraph5,itsaysthat“Alexandercouldstrikeupaconversationwithagoalpost.”Whatdoesthismean?WhatdoesittellyouaboutAlexander’spersonality?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
4. HowdoyouthinkLeonardofeelswhenhefirstmeetsAlexander?Useexamplesfromthestorytosupportyouranswer.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
5. Onthelinesbelow,writeabriefsummaryofparagraph3.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
6. Inparagraph12,whatdoespantomimedmean?
______________________________________________________________________________________
7. Tellaboutatimewhenyouusedsomethingotherthanspokenlanguagetocommunicatewithsomeone.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
NAME
CD-704586 Reading Gr 8.indd 7 6/9/14 3:53 PM
8Spectrum Reading Grade 8
What role did Ellis Island play in America’s history?
1 EllisIslandsitsquietlyinNewYorkHarbor.Formanyyears,itwasabeaconofhopefornewimmigrants.PeoplecametoAmericafromaroundtheworld,searchingforabetterlife.Somewerefleeingpoverty;otherswereseekingfreedomfromreligiouspersecution.ReachingEllisIslandandtheStatueofLibertywereasigntoimmigrantsthattheyhadarrivedinAmericaandcouldbegintheirnewlives.Forsomeofthe12millionpeoplewhopassedthroughEllisIslandbetween1892and1954,thiswastrue.Theywereprocessedandadmittedinjustafewhours.Othershadamuchdifferentexperience.
2 ThetripacrosstheAtlanticOceanwasdifficult,especiallyforpassengersinthirdclass,orsteerage.Peoplewereoftentiredandsickwhentheyarrived.Theyhadspentseveralweeksaboardalarge,crowdedship.First-andsecond-classpassengershadaneasiertime.Iftheypassedahealthcheckonboardtheship,theywouldbequicklyprocessedandreleased.Thethird-classpassengershadtowaitmuchlonger—sometimes,evendays.Whentheydidfinallyleavetheship,theyweregivenidentitytagsandtoldtoheadforthemainbuildingonEllisIsland.
3 Thiswasoftenatimeofgreatconfusion.Followingdirectionsinalanguageyoudon’tunderstandisdifficult!Thepassengerscarriedtheirmostimportantbelongings—theitemstheyhadchosentomakethelongtripacrosstheoceanwiththem.Theyweretired,theywereanxious,andtherewereoftenyoungchildrenorelderlyparentstokeeptrackof.
4 OnthewaytotheGreatHall(officiallyknownastheRegistryRoom),doctorswatchedtheimmigrantsastheywaitedinline.Theylookedforpeoplewhowerehavinganysortofdifficultythatcouldindicatetheywereill.Inthelarge,noisyroom,theimmigrantshadtopassahealthinspection.Oneoftheworstpartswashavingyoureyelidliftedbyatoolcalledabuttonhooksothatdoctorscouldcheckforacontagiouseyedisease.
5 Immigrantswhoneededfurtherinspectionhadalettermarkedwithchalkontheirclothing.Theletterindicatedwhatsortofproblemtheyweresuspectedofhaving.Immigrantswho
passedthehealthinspectionweresentontohavetheirlegalinspection.Thebigworry,ofcourse,wasseparation.Whatifyoupassedthehealthinspectionbutyourchildorspousedidnot?
6 Atthenextstop,immigrantswereaskedaseriesofquestions,suchaswheretheywereborn,weretheymarried,whatsortofworkdidtheydo,howmuchmoneydidtheyhave,andsoon.Theiranswersneededtomatchtheanswersonthelist,ormanifest,fromtheship.ManypeoplewereadmittedtotheUnitedStatesafterpassingthenecessaryrequirements,butmanywerealsodetained.Somewereimmediatelysentbacktotheirhomecountries,whileothersspentdays,orevenmonths,intheinfirmary.TheircaseswouldeventuallybereviewedagainandadecisionwouldbemadeastowhetherornottheycouldstayinAmerica.AboutthreethousandimmigrantsdiedonEllisIsland,andabouttwopercentweredeniedentrytotheU.S.
7 Forthefortunateimmigrantswhoweregivenpermissiontostay,socialworkerswereonhandtoofferhelpaspeoplemadetheirwayinanewandforeigncountry.TheyoftenmetrelativesattheKissingPost,acolumnoutsidetheGreatHall,wherethenewimmigrantswerereunitedwithfriendsandfamily.
8 ThelastimmigrantpassedthroughEllisIslandin1954.Today,youcanvisitthemuseumandlearnaboutthehistoryofaplacethatplayedaroleinthelivesofsomanyAmericanimmigrants.Infact,about40percentofAmericanstodaycantraceatleastoneancestortoEllisIsland.Areyouoneofthem?
Island of Hope
CD-704586 Reading Gr 8.indd 8 6/9/14 3:53 PM
9Spectrum Reading Grade 8
1. Inparagraph1,whatdoestheauthormeanbysayingthatEllisIslandwas“abeaconofhope”?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
2. Howwastheexperienceofthird-classpassengersdifferentfromfirst-andsecond-classpassengers?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
3. Doyoufeelthatitwasfairorjustforofficialstodetainpassengerswhowerethoughttobeweakorill?Whyorwhynot?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
4. WhatwereEllisIslandandtheStatueofLibertyasignofforimmigrants?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
5. Even if a passenger did not pass the health inspection, he or she would not be sent home.Isthisstatementtrueorfalse?
______________________________________________________________________________________
6. Whatwastheauthor’spurposeinwritingthisarticle?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
7. WhatarefouradjectivesyoucouldusetodescribehowimmigrantsmayhavefeltastheypassedthroughEllisIsland?
_______________________________________________________________________________
NAME
CD-704586 Reading Gr 8.indd 9 6/9/14 3:53 PM
10Spectrum Reading Grade 8
Will Isabella and Noah get the backyard chickens they want?
1 Noahgotupfromthecouch,dustedthecrackercrumbsoffhisshirt,andheadedforthedoor.Heopenedittofindhissisterstandingtheregrinningathim.
2 “What’sgoingon?”heasked,raisinghiseyebrowsather.“Didyouforgetyourkeyorsomething?”
3 “Icouldn’topenthedoor,”explainedIsabella,holdingupherhandstoshowherbrotherthattheywereoccupied.Inonehand,shecarriedacanvasbagburstingwithbooks.Intheotherwasaplainbrownpaperbagwiththetopfoldedover.
4 “What’sinthebag?”askedNoah,takingitfromhissister.Hepeekedinsideandwassurprisedtofindmorethanadozeneggsnestledintoseveralhandfulsofwoodshavings.Abouthalfofthemwerelightbrown,somewithspeckles,andhalfwereapalegreenishblue.“Where’dyougetthese?”heexclaimed.“I’veneverseenblueeggsbefore.”
5 “IwenttoClaudia’shouseafterschooltoseeherchickens,”saidIsabella.“Herfamilyhassevenchickens,andeachonelaysaneggaday,sotheyhaveentirelytoomanyeggsmostofthetime.”
6 “AndyoushouldhaveseenHazelandAnnabellerun,”sheadded.“Itwastrulyoneofthefunniestthingsevertoseethemhustlingacrosstheyardwiththeirbacksidesbobbingalong.”
7 “Youwantchickensnow,don’tyou?”askedNoah.“I’mactuallyprettysurethatMomandDadwillthinkit’sagoodidea,intermsofbeingalearningexperienceandgettingbacktotheearthandeverything,butIthinkwe’regoingtohaveaproblemwiththeneighborhoodassociation.”
8 Inherexcitement,shehadforgottenaboutthegoverningbodyofthedozenorsostreetsthatformedtheSardisCreeksubdivision.Therewererestrictionsonwhatcoloryoucouldpaintyourfrontdoor,whatyoucouldplantinyouryard,andwhatcolorthecurtainsfacingthestreetcouldbe.Isabellasuddenlyfeltquite
certainthattherewasnowaythatsheandNoahweregoingtohaveanychickensoftheirownanytimesoon.
9 Thateveningatdinner,IsabellaandNoahtoldtheirparentsaboutIsabella’safternoonexperiencewithClaudia’schickensandtheirworriesabouttheneighborhoodassociation.“Ievenstoppedatthelibraryonmywayhome,”lamentedIsabella,halfheartedlyscoopingupabiteofmashedpotatoes.“Ihaveawholebagfulofbooksonraisingbackyardchickensandbuildingacoop,”sheadded,slumpinginherchair.
10 “Okay,okay,don’tgiveupyet,”commentedMrs.Burlingham.AsNoahhadpredictedtohissister,theirparentsimmediatelyjumpedonboardwiththeideaofraisingchickens.“Ithinkthatyoushouldatleastgiveyourideaachance,”sheadded.“Howcouldyoupresentthistotheassociationsothey’dsayyes?”
11 Thekitchenwasquietforamoment,exceptforthesqueakofthedogtoythatHoolihan,thefamilydog,wasbusilygnawingon.
12 “Well,”beganIsabellathoughtfully,“atschoolwhenwewantedtochangetheruleaboutcellphonesinthecafeteria,wecreatedapetitionandcollectedsignatures...andtherulewaschanged!”
13 “That’sjustwhatImean!”saidMrs.Burlingham.“Ithinkthatcollectingsignaturesofresidentsoftheneighborhoodisagreatplacetostart.”
14 “Wecouldcomposttheoldchickenlitteranduseitforthegardensinthecommonareas,”addedIsabella,scootingherchairback.“CanIbeexcused?Ihavealotofworktodo!”
Chickens in the Neighborhood
CD-704586 Reading Gr 8.indd 10 6/9/14 3:53 PM
11Spectrum Reading Grade 8
1. WhatproblemdoIsabellaandNoahhaveinthestory?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
2. Whatideasdotheyhaveforapossiblesolution?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
3. WhydoIsabellaandNoahthinkthattheneighborhoodassociationwillnotallowthemtohavechickens?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
4. Inparagraph8,whatdoesrestrictions mean?
______________________________________________________________________________________
5. CheckthecharactertraitsthatbestdescribeIsabella.
_______enthusiastic_______competitive_______immature_______reckless
_______determined_______cautious_______energetic
6. Fromwhosepointofviewisthestorytold?
______________________________________________________________________________________
7. Rereadthefirstsentenceinparagraph10.WhatdoesittellyouaboutMrs.Burlingham?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
8. Describewhatyouthinkwillhappennextinthestory.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
NAME
CD-704586 Reading Gr 8.indd 11 6/9/14 3:53 PM
12Spectrum Reading Grade 8
Will Isabella and Noah know how to take care of their new chicks?
1 IsabellaandNoahstaredatthelumpofpeepingfuzzhuddledatthebackofthebin.Theyhadbeenplanningandwaitingforthisdayforalongtime.Theneighborhoodassociationhadbeenmuchmorereceptivetotheirideathantheyhadanticipated.Itprobablydidn’thurtthattheyhadbeensowellprepared.TheyhadspenthourspouringoverthestackofbooksIsabellabroughtfromthelibraryandcheckingoutwebsitesaboutraisingbackyardchickens.
2 Whentheyshowedupataneighborhoodassociationmeetingwiththeirpetitioncontainingahundredsignatures,aquickvotewasheld.TheguidelineswereamendedtoallowresidentsofSardisCreektokeepuptofivechickensintheirbackyard.“Noroosters,ofcourse,”cautionedMr.Claussen.“Ialreadyhaveanalarmclock.”
3 Andnow,twomonthslater,theBurlinghamshadreturnedhomefromthefeedstorejustoutsidethecitylimits,withaboxfullofthecutestlittlefuzzballsanyofthemhadeverseen.Theweekendbefore,Mr.BurlinghamhadhelpedNoahandIsabellaconvertaclearplasticstoragebinintoabrooderforthechicks.Mr.Burlinghamcutalargeholeinthebin’slid,whichhethenlinedwithchickenwire.Aredheatlampwascarefullypositionedsothatthetemperatureinthebrooderwouldremainconsistentlyaround95degreesuntilthechicks’feathersstartedtocomein.
4 “Doyouhavethefeederandwaterer?”Noahaskedhissister.“Remember,wealsoneedtoputmarblesorsomethingsimilarinthewaterersothechicksdon’tdrown.”
5 “I’vegotthem,”saidMrs.Burlingham,enteringtheroomcarefullycarryingthefeederandfullwaterer.Onceeverythingwassetupjustthewaythebookshadsuggested,IsabellaandNoahpulledupchairstowatchthebabiesgetacquaintedwiththeirnewhome.
6 Saturdaymorningwasclearandsunny,withabreezethatgentlyshookthetendergreenleavesinthetreesoftheBurlinghams’yard.“Canwetrytakingthechicksoutsidetodayforabit?”Isabellaaskedhermom.
7 “Sure,”repliedMrs.Burlingham,“justbesuretokeepacloseeyeonthem;wedon’twantanybabiesescapingorgettinglostunderthebushes.”
8 Noahcarefullycarriedthebrooderoutsidetothebackyard,whereheandIsabellascoopedupthechicksonebyoneandplacedthemonthegrass.Theycheepedexcitedly,andimmediatelybeganpeckingthegrass,lookingforsomethingtasty.Hoolihan,whohadbeenwatchingthegoings-oncuriously,gavethechicksasniffortwoandthenheadedforhisfavoritespotatthebaseofatallpine.Thechickswaitedamomentandthenfollowedhiminawobblyline.
9 “Ha!”exclaimedIsabella.“MaybetheythinkHoolihanistheirmother.”Isabellanoticedashadowpassovertheyard.Sheglancedup,expectingtoseeafluffywhitecloudpassingmomentarilyoverthesun,butwhatshesawinsteadmadehergaspinsurprise.Ahawkcircled,itswingsoutstretchedasitsoared.Itcircledback,lowerthistime,andIsabellayelled“Hawk!”toherbrother,whowasnoclosertothechicksthanshewas.
10 Theybothbegantorunasthehawkdovetowardtheyard.Hoolihanbeganbarking,sharp,highpitchedbarksthatsoundedcompletelyunfamiliartoIsabellaandNoah.Hoolihanmovedsothatheblockedthechicksfromthehawk,ashecontinuedtobark.AsNoahandIsabellareachedthebabies,thehawkwasalreadycirclinghigher,movingawayfromthecommotion.Isabellapanted,restingherhandsonherkneesforamoment.“Backinthebrooder,”shesaidwhenshecaughtherbreath.“It’stoodangerousouthere!”
Here a Chick, There a Chick
CD-704586 Reading Gr 8.indd 12 6/9/14 3:53 PM
13Spectrum Reading Grade 8
1. Whatpurposewouldareaderhaveforreadingthisselection?
_______toformanopinion
_______forentertainment
_______tolearnhowtocareforchickens
2. Whatistheclimax,orhighpointinthisstory?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
3. Onthelinesbelow,writeonecausefromthestoryanditseffect.
Cause:_______________________________________________________________________________
Effect:________________________________________________________________________________
4. DoyoufeelliketheBurlinghamswerewellequippedtodealwiththeirnewchicks?Whyorwhynot?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
5. HowdidIsabellaandNoahconvincetheneighborhoodassociationtoallowthemtoraisechickens?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
6. Onthelinesbelow,writeabriefsummaryofthestory.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
7. Basedontheinformationyou’velearnedinthisstory,doyouthinkyouwouldliketoraisechicks?Explainyouranswer.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
NAME
CD-704586 Reading Gr 8.indd 13 6/9/14 3:53 PM
