Comprehension Level 3 (Sample)

CONTENTS PAGE Instructions 2 • Vocabulary …………………….…….…………………….……... 2 • Short Reading Exercise ………………...…………...…….……… 4 • Cloze………………………….…………………………….…….. 4 • Main Idea………………….……………………….……….…….. 6 • Sequencing …..………………….…………….………….….…... 6 • Following Directions …………………………………………….. 6 • Critical Reading …………………….……………………..……... 8 • Extended Reading ………………………………………………… 8 • Reading for a Purpose ………….………………………………… 8 • Dig Deeper.……………………………………………………….. SAMPLE Week 1: ………………….……………..………………………....…. 10 Week 2: ………………..…………..………….………………..……. 26 Week 3: …………………...…………………..………………..……. 42 Week 4: ………………………………………………………...……. 58 Week 5: …………………..…………..………………………...……. 74 Week 6: ………………………………………………………...……. 90 Week 7: …………….………………………………………...……… 106 Week 8: ……………….………………………………………..……. 122 Week 9: ……………..………………………………………..……… 138 Week 10: …………….………………………………………..……... 154 References: ..……………………………………………………..…… 170 Comprehension Level 3 p. 1

TEACHER USE ONLY VOCABULARY Read Meaning 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games (a worldwide sporting competition) chariot (two-wheeled cart pulled by a horse) event (contest, planned activity) competitor (sports person) obviously (easily seen) armour (metal protection) Greek (from Greece) pigeon (type of bird) SAMPLE obstacle (hurdle) strange (odd) Athens (capital of Greece) future (time yet to come) murky (not clear) discover (find out) ancient (in the distant past) spike (sharp point) duel (contest between 2 people) dummies (models of people) pistol (small gun) target (place at which you are aiming) GOALS: • Read the words in 20 seconds • Know the meanings of the words PLEASE RECORD YOUR BEST TIME FOR EACH DAY Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Comprehension Level 3 p. 10

Read the story. Circle the correct answer for each question. Write a title for the story that reflects the main idea. Write a nutshell sentence. TITLE: ____________________________ PURPOSE: Entertain Inform Persuade Instruct TENSE: Past Present Future (1)The first Olympic Games were held in 776 B.C., which is about three thousand years ago. (2)They took place in Greece every four years in August. (5)To begin with there were only running races. (6)Then other events like horse and chariot racing, boxing and wrestling were added. (7)Women were not allowed to compete in any of the events and married women were not even allowed to watch the Olympic Games. (8)The modern Olympics were started by a French man in 1896. (9)Today the Olympic Games are the largest sporting event in the world. SAMPLE Find the facts by looking back in the text. Infer by making connections. 1. The first Olympic Games were 4. In 776 B.C., women a) started by a French man. a) did not have much freedom. b) organised by the Greeks. b) could do what ever they liked. c) renown throughout the world. c) were considered bad luck. 2. Today, the Olympic Games are Connect sentences 1, 6 and 7. a) held every year. b) organised by the French. 5. The second Olympic Games c) a popular sporting event. were held in a) 776 B.C. 3. The Games were originally b) 778 B.C. held in c) 780 B.C. Connect sentences 1 and 2. a) spring. Evaluate by connecting to your own knowledge. b) autumn. c) winter. 6. Why might it be an honour to win an event at the Olympic Games? NUTSHELL SENTENCE: Connect to sentence 9 and your knowledge. _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ Comprehension Level 3 p. 11

Read all the words in the box. Read the story. Try to fit the words from the box into the spaces. Put a line through each word in the box as you use it. If you don’t immediately know the answer, leave it out and move to the next word. When you have finished, circle all the words you haven’t used in the box. Now read the story again and see if you can fill in the words you missed the first time. The first Olympic __________were held in 776 B.C., (First Olympic what? Need a noun.) which __________ about three thousand __________ (Need the verb to be.) (Three thousand what? Need a noun.) ago. They __________ place in Greece every four years SAMPLE (Need a verb.) in August. To begin with there were only running __________. Then other events like __________and (Like what? Need a noun.) (Running what? Need a noun.) chariot racing, boxing __________wrestling were added. (Need a conjunction to join the two ideas together.) __________were not allowed to __________ in any of (Who is this sentence about? Need a subject.) (Were not allowed to do what? Need a verb.) the events and married women __________not even (Need the verb to be.) allowed to watch __________Olympic Games. The (Olympic Games is a noun. What can you put in front of nouns?) modern Olympics were started by __________ French (French man is a noun. What can you put in front of nouns?) man in 1896. Today the Olympic Games are the largest sporting event in the __________. (‘The’ is used in front of nouns. Where are the Olympic Games the largest event?) took is world horse and years the a women compete races were Games * verb=doing word * subject=who or what the sentence is about * noun=naming word * conjunction=joins words, phrases or sentences * articles=are used in front of a noun to tell us if it is something specific (the) or something general (a/an) Comprehension Level 3 p. 12

SAMPLEMAIN IDEA Find the one main idea and three supporting details in the following passage. The main idea is the big idea or key point. The supporting details provide extra information. Highlight the main idea. Circle the number at the beginning of the sentences which provide supporting detail. (1)Wilma Rudolph won three gold medals in the 1960 Olympic Games. (2)Wilma had polio when she was a little girl and had to stay in bed for four years. (3)When she was first able to get up, she was very weak. (4)Wilma wanted to be a competitor in running events. (5)Obviously, she practised very hard as that’s what it takes to be a winner. (6)Wilma was the first American to win three Olympic medals for running. Ask: • Who is the story about? • The story told you two key ideas about Wilma. Which of these is the main idea of this passage? • Highlight the key word(s) in each sentence that show(s) this in red. • Which is the one sentence that provides an overview of all these ideas? That is the main idea. Highlight this sentence in yellow. • Which are the two sentences that do NOT give you extra information about Wilma winning medals at the Olympic Games? Put a line through those two sentences. • The sentences that are left are providing supporting detail. Put a circle around the number next to those sentences. Comprehension Level 3 p. 13

SEQUENCING Read the sentence, circle the clue word that will help you decide the answer and then choose the correct statement. 1. Before climbing into his chariot, the competitor checked his armour. The clue word is: a) checked b) into c) his d) before i) The competitor climbed into his chariot first. ii) The competitor checked his armour first. iii) Both happened at the same time. SAMPLE 2. The Greek watched the Olympic Games as some pigeons flew overhead. The clue word is: a) watched b) some c) as d) flew i) The Greek watched the Olympic Games first. ii) Some pigeons flew overhead first. iii) Both happened at the same time. 3. When she arrived home, Mary told her mother she had won the obstacle race. The clue word is: a) arrived b) when c) told d) race i) Mary arrived home first. ii) Mary won the obstacle race first. iii) Both happened at the same time. 4. After the strange man departed, we discovered his jacket. The clue word is: a) after b) strange c) we d) departed i) The strange man departed first. ii) We discovered his jacket first. iii) Both happened at the same time. Comprehension Level 3 p. 14

FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS Read the passage and follow the directions. You can change words by adding on letters. Read the clues and write the new word on the line. 1. Start with the word ‘he’. 2. Add a letter to the end to make a farm bird: ________ 3. Add a letter to the beginning to make a word meaning next: ________ 4. Add another letter to the beginning and another letter to the end to make the capital of Greece: __________ SAMPLE CRITICAL READING Determine the relationship between the first two words in bold. Select a word from the list that shows a similar relationship to the third word in bold in each sentence. Make sure the student understands all the words in the box before beginning the exercise. Do the ones the student finds easy first. strange ancient Greek armour discover obviously pigeon murky competitor future 1. Wide is to narrow as normal is to ____________. (Opposite meaning – antonym) 2. Cool is to warm as clear is to ____________. (Opposite meaning – antonym) 3. Kind is to nice as old is to____________. (Similar meaning – synonym) 4. Cyclist is to helmet as knight is to ____________. (Equipment associated with person) 5. Huge is to large as find is to ____________. (Similar meaning – synonym) 6. France is to French as Greece is to ____________. (Belonging to that country) 7. Asleep is to awake as past is to ____________. (Opposite meaning – antonym) 8. Vegetable is to carrot as bird is to ____________. (An example of that category) 9. False is to untrue as clearly is to ____________. (Similar meaning – synonym) 10. Ballroom is to dancer as Olympic Games are to ____________. (Person associated with event) Comprehension Level 3 p. 15

As the student THE STRANGEST OLYMPIC EVENTS is reading, ask some of the following questions. Discuss the reasons underlying the answers. • Ask the student (1)What do you think are the strangest events to be held at to predict the the Olympic Games? The ancient Greek Olympic strange events. Games aimed to show the strength and physical abilities of men. Therefore, these games included chariot racing • Why would and foot racing in heavy armour. It would be strange to racing in watch those events today! armour be a SAMPLE show of strength? (2)The first modern Olympic Games began in 1896. Since that time, some very strange events have been included. • Picture this (3)In those first modern Olympic Games, one event was scene and rope climbing. Competitors had to climb a fourteen metre describe. rope hanging from a frame. The winner was the person who could climb the rope the fastest. The winner of the • Ask questions event in 1904 was George Eyser from the USA. He had a to develop a wooden leg! Rope climbing was dropped from the detailed picture Olympic Games in 1932, perhaps because it was so (e.g., From strange! what was the frame made? What shape was it? What were the competitors wearing?) • Why is there an exclamation mark after ‘wooden leg’? Comprehension Level 3 p. 16

• Who would (4) Most people think of tug-of-war as an event for you choose to children or a fun game to play at picnics. So, it is very be on your tug- strange to discover that in 1900 it was introduced as an of-war team? Olympic event. In 1908, the all-policemen British team Why? won against the USA team. The USA team protested because the British team were wearing spiked boots. • Why might The British team agreed to a rematch wearing only their spiked boots be socks, and they still won! The organisers obviously an advantage? thought it was a strange event to have in the Olympics too because they dropped it from the games in 1920. SAMPLE • How would (5)Another strange event introduced in the 1900s was you feel about live pigeon shooting. The pigeons were released from a cage. The winner was the contestant who killed the most watching this pigeons. More than three hundred pigeons were killed! People protested against this cruel event and clay event? Why? pigeons were used in later games. • Which would (6)In the 1900 Olympic Games there was also a very be the most strange two hundred metre obstacle swimming race. It difficult part of was held in the river. Competitors had to dive into this obstacle murky water, climb over a pole, swim, climb over a row swimming of boats, swim, swim under more boats and then swim race? Why? again. An Australian, Fredrick Lane, was the winner of this strange event that was never held again. • Why do you think this event was only held once? Comprehension Level 3 p. 17

• Discuss pistol (7)In 1908, and at the next Olympic Games, pistol duelling and its duelling was an event. Thankfully, in this strange event history. • Where would you find this type competitors did not shoot at each other, but rather shot of ‘dummy’ today? at dummies dressed in frock coats. • What real life (8)Another strange shooting event was ‘running deer event do you shooting’. This event was held from 1908 to 1948. think this even Competitors had to shoot a target, shaped like a deer, that moved at twenty kilometres an hour. The target was was trying to one hundred and ten metres away. Don’t you think that’s strange? replicate? SAMPLE • Which (9)Today, we think of these events as being very strange. Olympic event I wonder what people in the future will think of some of the events that are currently included in the Olympic do you think is Games? a bit strange? Why? PURPOSE: Entertain Inform Persuade Instruct TENSE: Past Present Future Comprehension Level 3 p. 18

READING FOR A PURPOSE Predict. 1. It would be strange to see competitors racing in armour today because a) you can’t buy armour any more. b) people rarely wear armour today. c) armour is very heavy. Draw conclusions. What do we know about George Eyser?SAMPLE 2. It was a great achievement for George Eyser to win the rope climbing a) because the rope was 14 metres long. b) because he had to climb with one leg. c) because he was from the USA. Infer. Think about the USA team’s request. 3. In the 1908 tug-of-war event the USA team thought the British team a) were weaker. b) were stronger. c) were cheating. Draw conclusions. 4. People protested about pigeon shooting because a) killing pigeons for sport is cruel. b) it is difficult to shoot flying pigeons. c) it was difficult to find 300 pigeons. Predict. 5. Fredrick Lane must have been a) a good swimmer. b) well known. c) an excellent sailor. Comprehension Level 3 p. 19

SAMPLE DIG DEEPER A. Write the correct events on this timeline. Ancient 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1932 1948 B. Number the events in order from the one you believe is the strangest (1) to the least strange (8). Explain the reason for your order. _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ C. Writers use a number of techniques to persuade the reader to agree with their argument. Find and highlight examples of the following techniques. 1. Asking rhetorical questions. 2. Repeating words or phrases. 3. Using ‘emotional’ adjectives and adverbs. Comprehension Level 3 p. 20

On the front of the card find an antonym, a synonym or an example of a type for each word as directed and on the back write a sentence using the word. Olympic Games armour Part of Speech: _________ Material: _________ chariot Greek Synonym: _________ Country: _________ SAMPLE event pigeon Synonym: _________ Category: _________ competitor obstacle Antonym: _________ Synonym: _________ obviously strange Antonym: _________ Antonym: _________ Comprehension Level 3 p. 21

(metal protection) (worldwide sporting competition) Sentence:___________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Sentence:___________________________________________ _________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ (from Greece) (two-wheeled cart pulled by a horse) Sentence:___________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Sentence:___________________________________________ _________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ SAMPLE (type of bird) (contest, planned activity) Sentence:___________________________________________ Sentence:___________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ (hurdle) (sports person) Sentence:___________________________________________ Sentence:___________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ (odd) (easily seen) Sentence:___________________________________________ Sentence:___________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ Comprehension Level 3 p. 22

Athens spike Part of speech: _________ Synonym: _________ future duel Antonym: _________ Synonym: _________ SAMPLE murky dummies Antonym: _________ Homophone: _________ discover pistol Antonym: _________ Category: _________ ancient target Synonym: _________ Part of speech: _________ Comprehension Level 3 p. 23

(sharp point) (capital of Greece) Sentence:___________________________________________ Sentence:___________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ (contest between 2 people) (time yet to come) Sentence:___________________________________________ Sentence:___________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ SAMPLE (models of people) (not clear) Sentence:___________________________________________ Sentence:___________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ (small gun) (find out) Sentence:___________________________________________ Sentence:___________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ (place at which you (in the distant past) are aiming) Sentence:___________________________________________ Sentence:___________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ Comprehension Level 3 p. 24

SHORT READING EXERCISE 1. B Purpose: Inform 2. C Tense: Past 3. B Nutshell: ‘(Title)’ is about the history of the Olympic Games. 4. A 5. C 6. You would be the best athlete in the world in that event. MAIN IDEA Main Idea: 1 Supporting details: 4, 5, 6 SEQUENCING SAMPLE 1. D ii 2. C iii 3. B ii 4. A i FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS he – hen – then - Athens CRITICAL READING 1. strange 6. Greek 2. murky 7. future 3. ancient 8. pigeon 4. armour 9. obviously 5. discover 10. competitor READING FOR A PURPOSE 1. B Purpose: Persuade (uses rhetorical questions, emotive adjectives and 2. B repetition 3. C Tense: Past 4. A 5. A DIG DEEPER tug-of-war running deer B. Check the answer is logical. A C. Persuasive devices Ancient 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1932 1948 1. Rhetorical techniques: chariot racing pigeon shooting rope climbing • What do you think are the strangest ….? obstacle swim pistol duelling • Don’t you think…..? racing in • I wonder what people in the future….? armour 2. Repetition: • strange, strange events, another dropped 3. Emotional adjectives & adverbs: • strangest, strange, obviously, murky, cruel, thankfully Comprehension Level 3 p. 25