Name:

© Evan-Moor Corp. • EMC 3454 • Daily Reading Comprehension 167

WEEK 27

DAY 1Compare and Contrast

READ THE PASSAGE   Look for words that tell you that a comparison is being made between different types of snowflakes. 

A Closer Look at SnowflakesAfter a heavy snowfall, the snow covering the ground looks like a thick white blanket.

But when you look closely, you see that the blanket of snow is made of tiny individual

snowflakes, each with its own unique shape.

Although no two snowflakes are exactly alike, all snowflakes have some things in

common. For example, all snowflakes begin as a water droplet in a cloud. The droplet

freezes into an ice crystal that grows as more droplets around it freeze. Also, almost all

snowflakes start out with six sides and are shaped like a long, thin column or flat, round

plate. Their shapes may quickly change as they grow, but in their earliest stages, all

snowflakes look very much alike.

The different shapes that snowflakes can become depends on the air’s temperature

and the amount of water vapor in the air. Simple column- or plate-shaped flakes form in dry

air below 5 degrees Fahrenheit (5°F). In moister air with temperatures of 5 to 15°F,

snowflakes become lacy, six-pointed stars with many tiny branches. Snowflakes can also

take on a needle shape. This kind of snowflake forms when the air is about 20°F and has

a lot of water vapor in it.

All snowflakes have one other thing in common. They melt! So if you ever have a

chance to study one up close, be sure to look quickly. It won’t be around for much longer!

SKILL PRACTICE   Read each question. Fill in the bubble next to the correct answer.

 1.  What do most snowflakes have in common?A Most are flat.B Most are shaped like stars.C Most have six sides.D Most are square.

2.  What must be present for any snowflake  to form? A a lot of water vapor in the airB a frozen water dropletC snowflakes with tiny branchesD a thick blanket of snow

 3.  What does a lacy snowflake have that a column-shaped snowflake does not? A many tiny branches on its pointsB long, thin needles C six sides D frozen water vapor

4.  How is a needle-shaped snowflake like  a column-shaped snowflake?A Both form in temperatures of 5°F. B Both form in dry air. C Both are made from ice crystals.D Both are sharp.

STRATEGY PRACTICE   Describe one thing about snowflakes that you did not know before reading.

3454.indb 167 10/19/10 8:02 AM

Name:

168 Daily Reading Comprehension • EMC 3454 • © Evan-Moor Corp.

WEEK 27

DAY 2Compare and Contrast

READ THE PASSAGE   As you read, think about how the flag of Nepal is different from other flags you know about.

A Flag with a DifferenceThe use of flags can be traced back thousands of years. Soldiers marching into battle

carried standards, or tall poles with objects made of cloth, wood, metal, or other materials

fastened to the top. Later, cloth pieces or streamers became the most common standard

to carry into battle. The flags of today’s countries developed from those cloth standards.

The colors used on most countries’ flags today are some combination of blue, red, white,

black, green, yellow, and orange. Most national flags are rectangular. The flag of Nepal is

an exception.

Nepal’s flag is made up of two triangles, one stacked on top of the other. The top

triangle shows a white moon against a red background. The bottom triangle shows a

white sun against a red background. The sun and the moon symbolize the hope that the

country will last as long as the sun and moon. Red is a traditional Nepalese color, but

both sections of the flag also have a blue border that stands for peace.

Nepal’s flag developed from the standards of two branches of a family that once ruled

Nepal. It is believed that the flag got its present shape in the late 1800s, when the two

triangle flags were placed one above the other. The triangles are also meant to represent

the shape of the Himalaya mountains—the huge range that covers the country.

SKILL PRACTICE   Read each question. Fill in the bubble next to the correct answer.

 1.  Unlike today’s national flags, some standards of the past  .A were made of wood, metal, and other

materials B were attached to poles C were very colorfulD were shaped like rectangles

2.  Most national flags, unlike Nepal’s,  .A have seven colorsB are shaped like rectanglesC have a blue border D developed from standards

 3.  Like the top half, the bottom half of Nepal’s flag  .A has a red sunB has a white moon C is a triangleD is a rectangle

4.  The shape of Nepal’s flag is meant to remind people of  .A a battleB a standardC the moon D the mountains

STRATEGY PRACTICE   Draw a star next to a part of the passage that you did not understand at first. Write what you did to understand it better.

3454.indb 168 10/19/10 8:02 AM

Name:

© Evan-Moor Corp. • EMC 3454 • Daily Reading Comprehension 169

WEEK 27

DAY 3Make Inferences

READ THE PASSAGE   Use clues from the passage and your own knowledge about volcanoes to make inferences about what took place on Mount St. Helens.

Destruction and RecoveryThe eruption of Mount St. Helens, a volcano in southwestern Washington, was the

most destructive eruption in North America ever recorded. It happened on May 18, 1980.

Inside the volcano, hot melted rock, or magma, had been rising toward the surface for

weeks. This rock was under intense pressure. On the day of the eruption, an earthquake

caused the north side of the mountain peak to collapse and slide into the valley. Without

the weight of the mountaintop, the pressure inside the volcano was released. As a result,

a huge explosion sent steam, dust, rock, and ash soaring into the sky.

In a matter of minutes, the landslide and explosion completely destroyed an area

12 miles long by 18 miles wide. Thousands of towering old trees were flattened and buried

in hot dust, ash, and rock. Fifty-seven people were killed. No large animals close to the

eruption survived. The only creatures that lived through the blast were those hidden in

underground burrows. And hundreds of homes and miles of highway were destroyed.

Today, life is almost back to normal on Mount St. Helens. Even the areas that were

most badly scorched and buried are now blanketed with wildflowers. Deer and elk are

thriving. And millions of trees that people planted after the 1980 eruption are already

growing tall. Scientists predict that 200 years from now, if the volcano has not erupted

again by then, the area should have completely returned to the way it was.

SKILL PRACTICE   Read each question. Fill in the bubble next to the correct answer.

 1.  Why do you think only the animals who lived underground survived the eruption?A They were protected from the eruption.B They were smarter than the other animals.C They had prepared for the eruption. D They lived farther away from the volcano.

2.  How do you think scientists know it will take 200 years for Mount St. Helens to recover?A They know how long plants take to grow.B They know how long the recovery took

last time.C The people who live there told them.D They can tell from the way the animals act.

 3.  What do you think the explosion was probably most similar to?A a shaken bottle of soda explodingB a rocket being launched into space C a window shatteringD popcorn popping

 4.  Why do you think deer are thriving on Mount St. Helens today?A because they survived the eruptionB because they can live undergroundC because they have food to eat nowD because the animals that eat them died

STRATEGY PRACTICE   How would you feel if you lived near Mount St. Helens today? Discuss it with a partner.

3454.indb 169 10/19/10 8:02 AM

Name:

170 Daily Reading Comprehension • EMC 3454 • © Evan-Moor Corp.

WEEK 27

DAY 4Make Inferences

READ THE PASSAGE   Think about how Ben Underwood changed the lives of other blind people.

“Seeing” with SoundBen Underwood was just a baby when he got a rare form of eye cancer. Because of

the cancer, doctors had to remove his eyes by the time he was three years old. But Ben

never let blindness stop him. He taught himself how to “see” with his ears, just as bats,

whales, and other animals do. This type of “seeing” is called echolocation.

Ben found his way around by making clicks with his tongue. The clicks traveled to

objects and bounced off them. By listening to their echoes, Ben could tell all sorts of

things about his surroundings. He could tell how far away something was, what shape it

was, and what it was made of. Using his amazing skills, he was able to play kickball and

basketball with friends, ride a skateboard, and even play some video games. Ben became

a star all around the world. He helped doctors better understand how blind people can

learn how to echolocate.

Sadly, Ben’s cancer came back. He died in 2009, just a week before his 17th birthday.

But because of his talent, more people now understand that a physical condition doesn’t

need to hold you back. In his short life, Ben became an inspiration to many people—those

with and without sight.

SKILL PRACTICE   Read each question. Fill in the bubble next to the correct answer.

 1.  Ben’s life showed that  .A blindness can ruin a person’s life B blind people can hear as well as bats

and whales canC being blind is just like having sightD blind people can use their other senses to

do things that people with sight can do

2.  Echolocation is most like  .A hearing with smellsB hearing with lightC seeing with soundD seeing in the dark

 3.  Using echolocation would help Ben play basketball by telling him  .A where the other players wereB what the score wasC what time it wasD what the weather was like

4.  What activity would echolocation nothelp with?A taking out the garbageB readingC pouring a bowl of cerealD taking a walk

STRATEGY PRACTICE   Reread the second paragraph and underline a sentence that helped you make an inference about Ben’s personality. Then write the inference you made.

3454.indb 170 10/19/10 8:02 AM