2

grade
Revised 2nd Edition
56 Stories
,
with Questions
& Answers
ages
78
B
A
S
I
C
S
Brain
Quest
Illustrations by Kimble Mead
Copyright

2000, 2007 by
Workman Publishing Co., Inc.,
and Groupe Play Bac, S.A.
All rights reserved. No portion
of this product may be reproduced
mechanically, electronically or
by any other means, including
photocopyingwithout written
permission of the publisher.
Published simultaneously in Canada
by Thomas Allen & Son Ltd.
BRAIN QUEST is a registered trademark
of Workman Publishing Company, Inc.,
and Groupe Play Bac, S.A.
Its O.K. to Be Smart! is a registered
trademark of Workman Publishing
Company, Inc.
Davide Busetti, Linda Eisinger,
Christine Wood
BRAIN QUEST READING contains 56
story cards, each with its own questions
and answers covering comprehension
and language arts.
Each player or team gets a deck and
takes turns asking questions.
Correct answers are worth 1 point
(2 points for Genius questions;
no points for Extensions). The rst
player/team to score 10 points wins.
Play each card through and then check
your answers against the answer cards.
Your quest? To get them all right!
Workman Publishing Company, Inc.
225 Varick Street
New York, New York 10014-4381
www.brainquest.com
Printed in Mexico
10 987654321
Second Grade Reading
Brain Quest

Questions and Answers

by Bonnie Dill
and Susie Dugovic
THE TEACHER ADVISORY BOARD
IF YOU WANT TO KEEP SCORE
THE 10-POINT GAME
SOLITAIRE
BRAIN QUEST READING was
created to help you sharpen
your reading and language
skillsand to have a good
time in the process. On the 56
story cards, youll find original
stories based on everyday life;
poems, fables and famous
sayings; and information on
people and places, animals
and seasons,
and important historical events.
Following each story card is a
comprehension card that quizzes you on
the story subject. Next comes a
language arts card with questions in the
following categories:
WORD CHOICE includes
vocabulary questions and
finding words with the same
or opposite meanings.
SPELLING tests your ability to spell,
to catch misspellings and to tell
the difference between sound-
alikes such as bare and bear.
GRAMMAR asks questions about
nouns and action words, capital
letters and punctuation marks,
and lets you Fix the mistake
and Choose the right word.
PHONICS ranges from rhymes
and silent letters to vowels,
consonants and letter sounds.
GRAB BAG covers syllables,
ABC order, hidden words and
turning one word into another.
EXTENSIONS are opportunities
to relate a story to your own
life, to be creative with your
own drawings, stories or poems,
or to learn more about a subject.
Use the story and question cards
to test yourself, or read them out
loud to a partner.
See other side for a Note
to Parents and Teachers.
HERES THE STORY!
A NOTE TO
PARENTS AND TEACHERS
BRAIN QUEST

READING focuses on literacy

skills in addition to the standard lan-
guage arts curriculum. Our new format
allows parents and teachers to assess
individual students strengths and weak-
nesses in the areas of reading and
language and to monitor their progress
through-out the year.
TEST AND TEACH
The stories and questions are scaled from
less challenging to advanced levels so that
all students, whether struggling or suc-
cessful, can enjoy
the satisfaction of answering correctly.
Because BRAIN QUEST READING is based on
the curriculum taught throughout the
school year, some questions may be more
difficult to answer early in
the year and may thus require more input
from parent or teacher. Working one-on-
one with a student can pinpoint his or her
specific needs or abilities.
Students who need assistance in read-
ing can benefit from looking at the story
cards as they are read aloud by an adult
and/or taking turns reading out loud.
ADD FUN TO THE GAME
The purpose of BRAIN QUEST is to engage
students interest and to teach that learn-
ing can be fun both at home and in the
classroom. The Extensions category at
the end of each language arts card invites
creative pursuits, such as making up new
stories, as
well as outside research. Interaction
should be encouraged in this cate-
gory, with sufficient time allowed for
writing, drawing, extra reading, and dis-
cussion.
SIDE ONE
1. THE PUPPET SHOW
2. TADPOLE TO FROG
3. RIDE INTO SPACE
4. THE TRICK
5. AHOY, MATE!
6. ITS A BABY!
7. CRUMB CATCHER
8. BIRDS EVERYWHERE
9. THE MATTRESS TEST
10. THE TEDDY BEAR
11. YOSEMITE
12. THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE
13. JIM AND SAM
14. OH! SAY, CAN YOU SEE?
SIDE TWO
15. THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW
16. FLYING AWAY
17. BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLIES
18. SNACKS
19. FOSSILS
20. TWO HEADS ARE BETTER!
21. SOUR GRAPES
22. BILLS SKILLS
23. THE PLANT DOCTOR
24. SOUND SCIENCE
25. CAMPING U.S.A.
26. HOLA!
27. DOWNHILL RACER
28. ASOKA THE KING
CONTENTS
Deck One
SIDE ONE
29. TIME FOR A CHANGE
30. MILLIES NEW HOME
31. WHAT IS WHEAT?
32. THE BIG APPLE
33. EATING RIGHT
34. BURROWING IN
35. SITTING BULL
36. A SCARY NIGHT
37. BIGGER THAN LIFE
38. A NEW NEIGHBOR
39. THE SOGGY SWAMP
40. THE FORTY-NINERS
41. THE RIGHT BALANCE
42. A RIDDLE
SIDE TWO
43. PATTY AND GERTIE
44. ABRAHAM LINCOLN
45. EDDIES ADVENTURE
46. THE RIGHT TO RIDE
47. BILLS, BILLS, BILLS
48. SONG DOGS
49. STARS AND STRIPES
50. COSMIC CRUSADERS
51. CHINESE NEW YEAR
52. JONIS COLLECTION
53. MUSCLE MAGIC
54. RIDING THE RANGE
55. THE CONTINENTS
56. A FUN POEM
CONTENTS
Deck Two
THE PUPPET SHOW
Mike, Casey, Bob and Katie
are neighbors. They like
to play together and are
always thinking of new
ways to have fun.
One day, they
created hand puppets out
of old socks, bits of fabric,
yarn and buttons. They
built a stage out of a big
cardboard box and made
admission tickets from
scraps of colored paper.
They even wrote a funny
script about a boy and girl
who get lost in Crazyland.
In Crazyland, dogs meow,
cats wear glasses, horses
fly and children walk on
their hands.
The audience loved the
puppet show and hoped
to see another one real
soon.
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 1
THE PUPPET SHOW
Answers
What did the audience hope
for at the end of the show?
Who gets lost in Crazyland?
Name at least two things
that were used to make
the puppets.
What are the four friends in
the story always thinking of?
Did they create hand puppets
or string puppets?
What was used to build
the stage?
What do cats wear in
Crazyland?
THE PUPPET SHOW
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
to see another one real soon
a boy and a girl
socks, fabric, yarn, buttons
new ways to have fun
hand puppets
a big cardboard box
glasses
THE PUPPET SHOW
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Create your own
Crazyland. Tell what
happens there.
Do actors memorize
the words in a ticket,
a fabric or a script?
Find the verbs in
this sentence:
The dogs meow and
the horses fly.
Which word refers
to a person: neighbor
or neighborhood?
The plural of sock
is spelled socks.
How do you spell the
plural of box?
Which letters in the
word audience are
NOT vowels?
Put these names in ABC
order: Mike, Katie, Bob,
Casey.
THE PUPPET SHOW
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Dont forget to include
opposites of the ways
things happen in real
life.
a script
meow, fly
neighbor
boxes (boxes)
d, n, c
Bob, Casey, Katie, Mike
THE PUPPET SHOW
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
What hatches from
an egg? If its a frogs
egg, what hatches is a
tadpole, wiggling in the
water like a little fish.
A tadpole eats and swims
and gets bigger every day.
Then something amazing
happens.
Legs begin to sprout.
The tail shrinks. The
gills are replaced by lungs.
Bit by bit, the tadpole is
transformed into a froglet,
which then grows up to be
an adult frog.
The frog uses its sticky
tongue to catch bugs and
worms. Some frogs spend
their whole lives in the water,
but most divide their time
between the water and the
land. Some even live in trees!
TADPOLE TO FROG
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 2
Are tadpoles gills used for
breathing or swimming?
Name two things that young
frogs eat.
Most frogs live partly
in the water and partly
on land. True or false?
Is a young frog called a froggy
or a froglet?
Does a tadpole look like
a fish or a frog?
Is a tadpole born with legs
or a tail?
How do they catch their food?
TADPOLE TO FROG
Answers
TADPOLE TO FROG
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
breathing
worms and bugs
true (Animals who live this
way are called amphibians.)
a froglet
a fish
a tail
with their sticky tongues
TADPOLE TO FROG
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Make a list of other
animals that hatch
from eggs.
When something
shrinks, does it be-
come larger or smaller?
Find the action word:
breath, breathe.
Does sprout mean
to grow or to divide?
Spell the word that
means to come out
of an egg.
How many syllables are
in the word wiggles?
Find a word in tadpole
for something that holds
a flag.
TADPOLE TO FROG
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
3rd PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Did you remember
to name insects, fish,
snakes and turtles,
as well as birds?
smaller
breathe
(When you breathe,
you take a breath.)
to grow
hatch (hatch)
(Genius Point!)
two (wiggles)
pole
TADPOLE TO FROG
Answers
RIDE INTO SPACE
Do you love knowing
things? Then youre just
like Sally Ride.
In school, Sally worked
hard to learn everything she
could. When she grew
up, she might have
been a writer, but
she decided to
become an astronaut
instead. She learned to
fly jets, and she helped to
design a robot arm that
could grab things in space.
Then, in 1983, she joined the
crew of the Challenger space
shuttle and became the first
American woman to fly in
space. Afterwards, she wrote
all about her adventures and
became a teacher, too.
Sally Ride sure proved one
thing. With knowledge, youll
go places!
What did Sally Ride prove?
Before Sally flew on
the shuttle, what did she
learn to fly?
Did Sally become a writer
before or after she flew
in space?
Finish this sentence: Sally
Ride was the first American
woman to . . .
What was the name of
her space shuttle?
What kind of arm can grab
things in space?
After flying in space, did Sally
become a doctor or a teacher?
RIDE INTO SPACE
Answers
RIDE INTO SPACE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
With knowledge,
youll go places!
jets
after
. . . fly in space.
the Challenger
a robot arm
a teacher
RIDE INTO SPACE
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
What do you dream
of doing when you
grow up?
What is the base word
in knowledge?
Today, I fly. Yesterday, I
. . . what?
Challenger is to chal-
lenge as teacher
is to . . . what?
Which word can mean
also: to or too?
Which word does NOT
have a long i vowel
sound: ride, wing, like,
write?
Which letters in the
word author spell a
word for 60 minutes?
RIDE INTO SPACE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Write it down, date it
and save it, so youll
always remember
your dream.
know
flew
teach
too (too)
wing
hour (hour)
RIDE INTO SPACE
Answers
THE TRICK
Trudy the trout went for
a swim with Mickey the
mackerel. The two friends
were looking for a morsel to
eat.
Look at that worm squig-
gling in the water! said
Trudy. She began to swim
toward the worm.
Wait! shouted Mickey.
Whats that shiny thing at-
tached to the worm?
As the two fish swam clos-
er to the worm, they saw that
the shiny object was a hook!
Its a good thing we were
careful, Trudy said. The
worm looked like a snack, but
it was a trick.
Yes, said Mickey. One
of us might have been the
snack today!
The two friends swam
off to safety.
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 4
THE TRICK
Answers
Is this story mainly about be-
ing hungry, friendly or
careful?
How were the friends careful?
What caught the attention
of the fish?
Who was swimming with
Trudy the trout?
Were the two friends hungry,
sleepy or thirsty?
The worm looked like a
snack, but it was a trick.
What was the trick?
If Trudy and Mickey hadnt
seen the hook, they might
have ended up as . . . what?
THE TRICK
Questions
careful
They checked before eating
the worm.
a squiggling worm
Mickey the mackerel
hungry
The worm looked like some-
thing good to eat, but
it was attached to a hook.
a snack
THE TRICK
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Write a short story
in which two animals
speak to each other.
Find another word
for squiggle: swim,
squirm, squat, squeak.
Choose the right verb:
The two fish (swum,
swam, swimmed) to
safety.
Is a morsel a large meal
or a small piece
of food?
Spell the word that ends
this sentence: Mickey
the mackerel is a friend
of Trudy the . . .
Which words rhyme with
each other: book, spook,
look, hook?
Why are quotation marks
used in a story?
THE TRICK
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Be sure to use quota-
tion marks when the
animals speak.
squirm
swam
a small piece of food
trout (trout)
book, look, hook
to show that someone
(or something) is talking
THE TRICK
Answers
AHOY, MATE!
Pirates were seamen who
stole from other ships.
Their own ships usually
flew a black flag called a
Jolly Roger, which was
decorated with a white
skull and crossbones.
One famous pirate
was nicknamed Black-
beard because he braided
his long black beard and
tied the braids with rib-
bons. Blackbeard terror-
ized sailors and stole their
ships treasure, including
chests of gold coins and
precious jewels. People
believed that he buried his
treasure on a secret island
in the Caribbean Sea.
Blackbeard lived over 200
years ago, but people are
still hunting for his
treasure!
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 5
How long ago did Blackbeard
live?
What is a Jolly Roger?
How did Blackbeard get his
nickname?
Were pirates real or
imaginary people?
Did pirates steal from houses,
trains or ships?
What treasures did
Blackbeard steal?
Is Blackbeards stolen trea-
sure believed to
be buried on an island
or under the water?
AHOY, MATE!
Answers
AHOY, MATE!
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
over 200 years ago
a pirates flag
He braided his black beard and
tied the braids with ribbons.
real
ships
gold coins and precious jewels
on an island
AHOY, MATE!
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
What do you picture in
your mind when you
hear the word pirate?
Is a container full of
treasure called a crate,
a chest or a barrel?
Find the proper noun:
pirate, Blackbeard,
treasure, island.
Find a synonym of
steal: fly, tie, bury,
rob.
Is the word for
a person who sails
spelled sailer
or sai l or?
The ship flew a black
flag. Which words
in this sentence start
with the same sound?
The name of this story
is Ahoy, Mate! Whats
another word for the
name of a story?
AHOY, MATE!
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Make a drawing of a
pirate or write a story
about one.
a chest
Blackbeard
rob
sai l or (sailor)
flew, flag
title
(Genius Point!)
AHOY, MATE!
Answers
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 6
ITS A BABY!
John and Jenny went to
the zoo to see the baby
animals.
In the zebra exhibit, the
colt stood next to its
mother, the mare.
The father zebra, or
stallion, was graz-
ing at the far end of the
field.
The lions were lying side
by side in the shade. The
lioness and her cub seemed
to like the warmth of the
father lion.
John spotted the joey, or
baby kangaroo, in the does
pouch. The babys dad, a
buck, was taking a nap.
Jennys favorite was
the elephant calf. The cow
stroked her baby with her
trunk. It was fun
to find all the
babies at the zoo.
What was Jennys favorite
baby animal?
In the story, which mother
animal is called a cow?
A lioness is a male lion.
True or false?
Where did John and Jenny go
to see the baby animals?
Is a baby zebra called a cub
or a colt?
What is a joey?
What do we call a female
kangaroo?
ITS A BABY!
Answers
ITS A BABY!
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
the elephant calf
the elephant mother
false (A lioness is a female
lion.)
to the zoo
a colt
a baby kangaroo
a doe
ITS A BABY!
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Look up the names of
these baby animals:
goose, sheep, deer,
whale.
Find the female in this
list of animals: bull,
buck, mare, stallion.
Fix the verb in this sen-
tence: The lions were
laying side by side.
What do we call an
elephants nose?
Spell the word for more
than one baby.
Which words rhyme with
each other: moose, zoo,
cow, kangaroo?
Rearrange the letters in
nap to make the word
for something used in
the kitchen.
ITS A BABY!
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Find out what the
mother is called in
each case.
mare (a female zebra
or horse)
The lions were
lying side by side.
(Genius Point!)
a trunk
babi es (babies)
zoo, kangaroo
pan (pan)
ITS A BABY!
Answers
CRUMB CATCHER
Ted shared a cookie with his
little sister, Snooky. Sudden-
ly, he saw a crumb moving
on the ground.
Oh, look! said Ted.
A little ant is carrying a
crumb back to its colony.
Whats a colony? Snooky
asked.
Ants and other insects live
in colonies, said Ted, who
had just read a book about
the insect world. Each mem-
ber of an ant colony has a job.
The queen lays eggs. Workers
find food, dig tunnels and
care for the babies. Its a lot of
work being an ant.
Well, I hope they like the
cookie, Snooky said.
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 7
What does Snooky hope?
Do worker ants lay eggs
or find food?
Ted and Snooky each had their
own cookie. True or false?
Did Ted learn about ants
by reading a book or
watching TV?
What did Ted see moving
on the ground?
How do we know that Snooky
is younger than Ted?
Do ants belong to the insect
world or the world of spiders?
CRUMB CATCHER
Answers
CRUMB CATCHER
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
that the ants will like
the cookie
They find food.
false (Ted shared his cookie
with Snooky.)
reading a book
a crumb
because shes his little sister
the insect world
CRUMB CATCHER
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
What would it be like to
be an ant? Write a story
with pictures about the
way you would live.
What word rhymes with
funnel and means
underground
passage?
Ted shared a cookie
with his little sister.
Which word is a verb?
Find a word that means
the same as colony:
nest, group, ground.
Rearrange the letters in
ant to spell something
you can get from the sun.
Which two words have
the same a sound as
back: bake, black, lay,
snack?
What punctuation mark
do you need to make a
contraction of it is?
CRUMB CATCHER
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Would you live in
an anthill? Would you
be the queen or one
of her workers?
tunnel
shared
group
tan (tan)
black, snack
an apostrophe (its)
CRUMB CATCHER
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 8 pg
00
BIRDS EVERYWHERE
I look out my window
And what do I see?
A red-breasted robin
Singing in a tree.
Ho! Whats that over there?
It must be a sparrow
Surveying the scene from
The rim of a wheelbarrow.
Now down on the beach,
Landing in a wind lull,
Some perky sandpipers
And a graceful
seagull.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
Who could be so rude?
A redheaded woodpecker
Drilling for food.
And high on a cliff,
Tall, proud and regal,
Stands none other than
The mighty
bald eagle.
BIRDS EVERYWHERE
Answers
What bird stands tall and
regal?
Is the woodpecker bald
or redheaded?
Which bird is perched on the
rim of a wheelbarrow?
What kind of bird do we meet
first in the poem?
What is the robin doing?
What is the woodpecker look-
ing for?
Name one kind of bird that
lands on the beach.
BIRDS EVERYWHERE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
the bald eagle
redheaded
a sparrow
a red-breasted robin
singing in a tree
food
sandpiper, seagull
BIRDS EVERYWHERE
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Make up a line to rhyme
with this line:
I hear the squawking
of a crow.
Is a lull the same
as a pause, a gust or
a storm?
Find the nouns:
The mighty bald eagle
stood on a cliff.
Does the word rim
mean the same as
middle or edge?
Is the word for
a strip of sand
spelled beech
or beach?
Which consonant is NOT
pronounced in the word
spelled scene?
What letter can replace
the r in regal to make
a synonym of lawful?
BIRDS EVERYWHERE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Possible rhymes in-
clude: bow, flow,
slow, no, know.
a pause
(Genius Point!)
eagle, cliff
edge
beach (beach)
c (scene)
l (legal)
BIRDS EVERYWHERE
Answers
THE MATTRESS TEST
Once upon a time, there
was a prince who wanted
to get married. To be sure
that her sons bride was a
true princess, the queen
made up a test. She put a
hard, dried pea under a
huge stack of mattresses
in the guest room. Only
a true princess would be
able to feel this pea when
she sleeps here, thought
the queen.
Each girl awoke feeling
rested and refreshed. And
each was told to leave the
castle. Then one morning
a girl complained that she
hadnt slept well. There
was a hard
lump in my
back all night!
she said.
The prince
had found his
bride. They got
married and
lived happily
ever after.
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 9
How does this story end?
In the story, the bed was
very comfortable for most
of the girls who slept on it.
True or false?
How did the princes mother
plan to find a true princess
for her son?
Who wanted to get married
in this story?
Is the mother of a prince
called a queen or a princess?
If a girl woke up feeling
rested, why was she asked
to leave the castle?
How did the prince know he
had found his bride?
THE MATTRESS TEST
Answers
THE MATTRESS TEST
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
3rd PASS
GRADE 2 READ
The prince and princess mar-
ried and lived happily
ever after.
true
She put a hard, dried pea
under a stack of mattresses to
test each girls sensitivity.
a prince
a queen
because sleeping well meant
she didnt feel the pea
The girl felt the pea under all
the mattresses.
THE MATTRESS TEST
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
3rd PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Tell your own fairy tale.
Begin with Once upon
a time and end with
happily ever after.
What small word do you
see in all these words:
prince, king, complain?
Fix the mistake:
I telled the girl to
leave the castle.
Find the antonyms:
hard, round, soft, dried.
Rearrange the letters
in the word lump
to make the word for
a kind of fruit.
What sound do the let-
ters gh make
in the word enough?
What letter of the alpha-
bet sounds like
the name of a vegetable?
THE MATTRESS TEST
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Did you base your story
characters on people
you know?
in
I told the girl to leave
the castle.
hard, soft
plum
an f sound
p (sounds like pea)
THE MATTRESS TEST
Answers
THE TEDDY BEAR
One day, on a hunting
trip, President Theodore
Roosevelt saw a
small bear in the
woods. The bear
would have been easy
to shoot, but the President
let it run away.
Newspapers printed
the story, and a famous
cartoon showed the bear
with the President, whose
nickname was Teddy.
Then companies began
making little Teddy
bears to sell.
President Roosevelt
went on to make new
laws that protected
nature. He also set aside
millions of acres where
animals and plants could
be safe in the wild.
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 10
What office did Theodore
Roosevelt hold at the time
of this story?
What was Theodore
Roosevelts nickname?
Where did people read
the story of Roosevelt
and the bear?
What kind of trip was Theo-
dore Roosevelt on
when he met the bear?
What size was the bear that
Theodore Roosevelt saw?
What did Roosevelt do to help
animal and plant life?
What name did the companies
give to the bears they began
to make?
THE TEDDY BEAR
Answers
THE TEDDY BEAR
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
He was President of the
United States.
Teddy
in the newspapers
a hunting trip
It was a small bear.
He made laws and set aside
land to protect animals and
plants.
Teddy bears
THE TEDDY BEAR
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Write a short story
about a teddy bear that
wants to be someones
special toy.
Is a funny drawing
called a carton or
a cartoon?
Fill in the missing word:
I am, you are, he. . .
What word rhymes with
tall but means the
opposite of big?
Is the name of the ani-
mal in the story spelled
bear
or bare?
Which word has a t
thats pronounced
like tch: nation
or nature?
The bear lived safely
in the wild. In this sen-
tence, is wild a noun or
an adjective?
THE TEDDY BEAR
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
What kind of person
would the teddy bear
want to belong to?
a cartoon
is
small
bear (bear)
nature
(The t in nation is
pronounced like sh.)
(Genius Point!)
a noun
THE TEDDY BEAR
Answers
YOSEMITE
Yosemite National Park
lies in the heart of the
Sierra Nevada mountains
in California. The park has
a large pine wilderness
area full of plants and
animals. Giant sequoia
trees grow there, and a
deep valley runs through
its middle. The valley was
created by big sheets of
ice called glaciers. There
are also spectacular cliffs
and Americas highest
waterfall.
The best way to see Yo-
semites natural wonders
is to hike through the park
and camp overnight.
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 11
Whats the best way to see
the sights in the park?
What runs through the middle
of Yosemite National Park?
Sequoia trees grow to be very
tall. True or false?
In which state can you visit
Yosemite National Park?
At Yosemite, you can see
Americas highest . . . what?
What mountains can you see
in Yosemite National Park?
Was Yosemite Valley created
by glaciers, an earthquake or
a meteorite?
YOSEMITE
Answers
YOSEMITE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
to hike through the park and
camp overnight
a valley
true
California
waterfall
the Sierra Nevada mountains
glaciers
YOSEMITE
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Tell about a beautiful
place where you went
hiking or camping.
What do we call an area
that is uninhabited by
humans?
Which words should start
with capital letters?
tuesday we will visit
yosemite national park.
Find another word
for a big sheet of ice:
valley, glacier, cliff,
mountain.
Spell the word that starts
with m and comes
between beginning
and end.
Which word does NOT
rhyme with grow:
crow, know, now, show?
Which word has all the
vowels in the alphabet:
Sierra, sequoia, heart,
waterfall?
YOSEMITE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
What did you like about
the place you visited?
Was there anything you
didnt like?
a wilderness
(Genius Point!)
Tuesday, Yosemite,
National, Park
glacier
mi ddle (middle)
now (rhymes with cow)
sequoia
YOSEMITE
Answers
THE TORTOISE AND
THE HARE
In the forest there lived
a tortoise and a hare. A
tortoise is a turtle. A hare
is a rabbit.
One afternoon, the hare
teased the tortoise about
being so slow. The tortoise
told the hare that he was
faster than he looked and
challenged the hare to a
race. The hare laughed out
loud at such a silly idea!
The two animals began
to race, and soon the hare
was so far ahead that he
decided to take a nap.
While he slept, the tortoise
not only caught up but
quietly passed the hare.
The hare woke up
just in time to see the
tortoise win!
The moral: Slow
and steady wins
the race.
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 12
What is the moral of
this story?
What did the rabbit do in
the middle of the race?
What did the hare do when
the tortoise challenged him
to a race?
Where did the tortoise
and the hare live?
What kind of animal is
a tortoise?
Did the race take place in the
morning or the afternoon?
Who won the race?
THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE
Answers
THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Being slow but steady is better
than just being fast.
He took a nap.
He laughed out loud.
in the forest
a turtle
the afternoon
the tortoise
THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Make a list of other
animals that are known
for being fast.
Find the opposite
of quietly: softly,
smoothly, loudly,
quickly.
Fix the mistake:
The tortoise catched
up and won the race.
Is a moral the same
thing as a challenge
or a lesson?
Is the word for a kind of
rabbit spelled hare
or hai r?
How many syllables are
in the word animal?
Which should always
be written as two
words: outloud, ahead,
afternoon?
THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
What animals are slow?
loudly
The tortoise caught up
and won the race.
a lesson
hare (hare)
three (animal)
out loud
THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
GRADE 2
READ
JIM AND SAM
Jim invited Sam to his
house to play cars and
trucks. Sam brought his
fast red car, his blue
dump truck and his favor-
ite vehicle of all
a yellow bulldozer.
Jim has many vehicles
of his own. He also has
a racetrack
and a parking garage.
The boys had a good
time pretending to work
at a construction site.
And there were many
thrills and spills as they
raced their cars!
When Jims dad called
them to the kitchen for a
snack, they parked their
vehicles in the
garage. It was a
fun day.
Where did the boys park their
vehicles?
At a construction site, would
you expect to see a race car
or a dump truck?
What is Sams favorite
vehicle?
Which happened first?
The boys had a snack.
Sam went home.
Jim invited Sam over.
Which word would definitely
NOT describe Jim and Sam:
enemies, classmates, friends,
neighbors?
Where did the boys pretend
they were working?
Where was Jims dad when
he called the boys to come
and have a snack?
JIM AND SAM
Answers
JIM AND SAM
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
in the garage
a dump truck
a yellow bulldozer
Jim invited Sam over.
enemies
at a construction site
in the kitchen
JIM AND SAM
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Whats your favorite
game to play with a
friend?
Find another word for
place: sit, site, suit.
Find the two nouns in
this sentence: Most
vehicles have wheels.
Are vehicles used
for education or trans-
portation?
Rearrange the letters in
the word own to spell
two other three-letter
words.
Which g in the word
garage is pronounced
like a j?
Choose another title for
this story: Time for a
Snack, Cars and Trucks,
Its Mine, Not Yours.
JIM AND SAM
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Is there a game that
you play at home with
your family?
site
vehicles, wheels
transportation
now, won
the second g
Cars and Trucks
JIM AND SAM
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 14 pg 00

OH! SAY, CAN YOU

SEE?

The War of 1812 was two

years old, and British war-
ships were lined up
to attack Fort McHenry
on the Baltimore harbor.
Inside the fort, American
soldiers got ready to fight
the enemy. The flag of the
United States flew proudly
atop the fort. Soon bombs
were bursting in the air.
Francis Scott Key was
watching the battle. Who
will win? he wondered.
Dawn finally came, and in
the daylight he saw that
the flag still flew atop the
fort. The British had been
turned away!
Key wrote a poem about
that night. His poem was
set to music
and became
The Star-Spangled
Banner, the
American
national anthem.
What is the name of the
American national anthem?
How did Key know that
the Americans had won?
Where was the American flag
during the battle?
This story takes place during
the War of 1812. What enemy
were the Americans fighting?
Name the poet who was watch-
ing the battle.
Was it dawn or evening
when it became clear that
the Americans had won?
Is a national anthem meant
to be sung or recited like a
poem?
OH! SAY, CAN YOU SEE?
Answers
OH! SAY, CAN YOU SEE?
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
The Star-Spangled Banner
The American flag was still
flying over the fort.
atop Fort McHenry
the British
Francis Scott Key
dawn
sung
OH! SAY, CAN YOU SEE?
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Read about the famous
Battle of New Orleans
on the Internet or at
the library.
Does dawn come be-
tween night and morn-
ing or between after-
noon and night?
Which two words need a
hyphen between them:
day light, star spangled,
war ship?
Choose the right word:
Francis Scott Key
saw bombs (busting,
bursting) in air.
Spell the plural of
enemy.
Which word has a
silent b: bomb or bom-
bardment?
Which word comes first
in a dictionary: fort, flew,
flag, fight.
OH! SAY, CAN YOU SEE?
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Compare the date of the
battle to the date
of the treaty that ended
the War of 1812.
between night and
morning
star-spangled
(Daylight and war-
ship are written
as one word.)
bursting
enemies
(enemies)
bomb
fight
OH! SAY, CAN YOU SEE?
Answers
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 15
THERE OUGHT TO
BE A LAW
Dear Congresswoman Kelly:
I think too many people are
mean to kids. Heres my idea:
Congress is where laws are
written. So write
the always-be-
nice-to-kids
law and get
Congress
to vote
on it!
After
everyone
votes yes, send it to the
President. If the President says
yes, its a done deal! If the
answer is no, Congress can
vote yes again and make it
a law anyway!
If some meanie doesnt like
the law and asks the Supreme
Court to overturn it, I know
the court will say, No, its the
greatest law ever!
Yours respectfully,
Tanya Baker
P.S. My parents
voted for you!
THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW
Answers
Did she sign her full name
or just her first name?
Congress can vote to make a
new law even if the President
says no. True or false?
In our government, a single
person can make a new law.
True or false?
Did Tanya write to a man
or a woman?
What did Tanya call her law?
According to Tanya, what kind
of person might ask the Su-
preme Court to overturn
the law?
Did Tanya write a formal
letter or an informal note?
THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
She signed her full name.
true
false (Laws have to be ap-
proved by Congress.)
a woman (Congresswoman
Kelly)
the always-be-nice-to-kids
law
a meanie
a formal letter
THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
What law would you
write if you were in
charge of our country?
Finish this series:
great, greater, . . .
How do you punctuate
Respectfully yours
at the end of a letter?
Find two synonyms:
great, idea, deal,
thought.
Spell the four-letter
word that begins with
m and means the op-
posite of yours.
Which word does NOT
have the i sound in
write: hide, shine, gift?
Rearrange the letters in
kids to make a word
that means to slide.
THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW
Questions
Get a grown-up to help
you and send your idea
to your representative
in Congress!
greatest
with a comma
after yours
idea, thought
mine (mine)
gift
skid
THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
FLYING AWAY
Mario is about to take a
trip. He and his
parents are
flying to Canada
for a vacation.
At the airport, Mario
waits in line at the airline
ticket counter. When its
his turn, the ticket agent
takes his suitcase and puts
it on a moving belt. Airport
workers at the other end
of the belt will load his
suitcase onto the plane.
When their tickets have
been checked, Mario
and his parents go to the
planes departure gate.
Through the window, they
can see another plane get
ready to take off.
Mario is thrilled.
This will be his first
ride on a jet plane!
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 16
Why is Mario thrilled?
Where do Mario and his par-
ents wait to board the plane?
Where does Mario wait in line?
Where are Mario and
his parents going for
a vacation?
How are they getting there?
What will happen to Marios
suitcase when it gets to the
end of the moving belt?
What do they see through
the window?
FLYING AWAY
Answers
FLYING AWAY
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
This will be his first ride on
a jet plane.
at the departure gate
at the airline ticket counter
Canada
by airplane
Airport workers will load it
onto the plane.
another plane getting ready
to take off
FLYING AWAY
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Tell about a trip youve
already taken or want
to take in the future.
Is a person who checks
airplane tickets called
a ticket counter or a
ticket agent?
Fill in the missing word:
I fly, you fly, he . . .
When you board
a plane, are you
getting on the plane
or off the plane?
Is the word that comes
before second spelled
furst or first?
Which words rhyme with
each other: you, go, to,
through?
Which should be
written as two words:
airport, airforce,
airline, aircraft?
FLYING AWAY
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Do you have a favorite
way of traveling (car, bus,
train or plane)? Whats
your least favorite?
a ticket agent
flies
on the plane
first (first)
you, to, through
air force
(Genius Point!)
FLYING AWAY
Answers
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 17
BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLIES
To make your very own
butterfly, all you need
is a piece of paper,
a paintbrush and
some paint.
1. Fold the paper in half
to make a crease down
the center. Open up the
paper and lay it flat.
2. Fill in the wings with
color. Let dry. On one
side of the crease
put two spots of a
different color, one above
the other. Refold the pa-
per and press down.
3. Open up the paper.
There will be four spots
of color on the wings. Use
your paintbrush to add a
body down the crease and
two antennae on the head.
Hang up your print or
send it to someone as a
card. Be sure to sign it!
Name two things you can do
with your butterfly print.
Where do you paint the but-
terflys body?
Which do you do first:
fold the paper or fill in
the wings with color?
What does this project teach
you to make?
What three things do you need
for this project?
Are the wings at the sides
of the paper or on the top
and bottom?
Where do the antennae go?
BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLIES
Answers
BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLIES
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
hang it up; send it as a card
on the crease
fold the paper
a butterfly
a piece of paper, a paintbrush
and some paint
at the sides
on the head
BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLIES
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Try painting other
designs using folded
paper.
Does a butterfly
have two antennas
or two antennae?
Fix the verb: I drawed
a beautiful butterfly.
Which word means the
same as fold: print,
crease, center, flat?
Spell the word that be-
gins with c and means
the opposite
of open.
Everything you need for
the project on the story
card starts with the same
letter. Say the letter.
What two letters can
you put in front of fold
to make a word that
means fold again?
BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLIES
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Valentines are a good
example of designs
made with folded paper.
two antennae
I drew a beautiful but-
terfly.
crease
close (close)
p (paper, paintbrush,
paint)
re (refold)
BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLIES
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 18
SNACKS
Josh had a great treat for
snacktime. His mother
had packed two big raisin
cookies in his lunch box.
Michael was feeling sad
about snacktime. He got
up late that morning and
forgot his lunch box when
he rushed off to school.
When snacktime came,
Josh was looking
forward to eating his
cookies. Then he saw that
Michael had no snack at all.
Josh sat down next to
Michael and offered him
one of his cookies.
Oh, wow! Thank you,
said Michael. I forgot
my lunch box today.
Dont worry, said
Josh. My mother packed
a huge lunch for me
enough for
both of us!
Is this story about baking,
sharing or selfishness?
What did Josh do when
he saw that Michael had
no snack at all?
In the story, did snacktime
come before lunch or after
lunch?
What treat did Joshs mother
pack in his lunch box?
Why didnt Michael have
a treat for snacktime?
How did Michael feel when
snacktime came?
What will Josh do when lunch-
time comes?
SNACKS
Answers
SNACKS
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
sharing
He offered Michael one
of his cookies.
before lunch
two big raisin cookies
He forgot his lunch box when
he left home in the morning.
sad
Hell share his lunch
with Michael.
SNACKS
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Tell about a time when
you shared something
of yours with another
person.
Find the definition
of raisin: baked
apple, dried grape,
shredded wheat.
Find the verbs: Josh
saw that Michael had
no food.
Is sad the opposite
of happy, late or
great?
Spell the opposite of
backward.
In which words are the
letters ch pronounced
like a k: lunch, school,
Michael, cherry?
Josh is a nickname
for Joshua. Whats
a common nickname
for Michael?
SNACKS
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
What about a time
when someone shared
something with you?
dried grape
saw, had
happy
forward (for-
ward)
school, Michael
Mike or Mickey
SNACKS
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 19
FOSSILS

Splat!
Splat! Splat!
A dinosaur stomps
through the swamp,
leaving footprints in the
mud. Days pass. The mud
hardens into clay. Weeks
pass. Sand covers the
track. Millions of years
pass. The swamp is now a
desert.
Chip! Chip! Chip!
A scientist gently
taps a rock
with his
hammer.
Suddenly, he whoops for
joy. A dinosaur footprint!
The scientist has uncov-
ered a fossil.
There are many kinds
of fossils: tracks, bones,
leaves, nests, even eggs.
And each one tells us
something about
life in prehistoric
times.
FOSSILS
Answers
Is there only one kind
of fossil or are there many dif-
ferent kinds?
What do fossils tell us about?
What kind of tool did the
scientist use?
Was the scientist who discov-
ered the dinosaur
track happy or angry?
Over millions of years,
what did the swamp become?
What did the dinosaur
leave behind in the swamp?
Are fossils made when things
turn to water or to stone?
FOSSILS
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
There are many different
kinds.
life in ancient times
a hammer
happy (He whooped for joy.)
a desert
footprints (a track)
to stone
FOSSILS
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
What fossils have been
discovered in your
state? Check your local
library or the Internet.
Which word means
the same as gently:
slowly, softly, suddenly?
Find the verb in this
sentence: The scientist
gently taps a stone with
his hammer.
Which word can
you add to print
to make a new word:
arm, finger, hair?
Which can you eat: de
ssert
or desert?
Which word does NOT
have the o sound
in fossil: rock, hot,
bone, bottle?
Which letters in the
word dinosaur spell
the word for something
we breathe?
FOSSILS
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
See if your state has
an official fossil or
prehistoric animal!
softly
taps
finger (fingerprint)
dessert
(dessert)
bone
air
FOSSILS
Answers
TWO HEADS ARE BETTER!
Sometimes it takes two
people to solve a problem.
For example, Ginny want-
ed to make a tent out of a
blanket in the living room.
First she tucked
the blanket between the
couch and the wall. Then
she draped the other end
over a tall chair. But that
end kept coming loose.
Her sister Grace came
in and saw the problem.
Why not put a heavy
book on the loose end?
she suggested. That
should hold it in place.
The two girls anchored
the blanket with the
heaviest book they could
find.
Good idea, said Ginny.
I guess two heads are
better than one!
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 20
Did the two girls work together
or separately to
solve the problem?
In what part of the house did
the problem occur?
Which girl first realized there
was a problem?
Explain the saying Two heads
are better than one.
In this story, who are the
two heads?
What problem was she having?
How was the problem solved?
TWO HEADS ARE BETTER!
Answers
TWO HEADS ARE BETTER!
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
together
the living room
Ginny
If you cant solve a problem
yourself, a second person
might be able to help you.
Ginny and her sister Grace
One end of the blanket kept
coming loose.
Grace said they should use
a heavy book to hold the blan-
ket in place.
TWO HEADS ARE BETTER!
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Make a list of well-
known sayings.
Turn the word loves
into a verb meaning
find the answer to.
Which sentence is
a statement?
1) Can you help me?
2) I need help.
Find another word for
couch: tuck, tent,
sofa, anchor.
Spell the word that be-
gins with l and means
the opposite
of heavy.
Which name begins
with the same sound
as the word game:
Ginny or Grace?
Two heads is better than
one. Whats wrong with
this saying?
TWO HEADS ARE BETTER!
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Check with family and
friends to see what say-
ings they like.
solve
2) I need help.
sofa
light (light)
Grace
Two heads are better
than one.
TWO HEADS ARE BETTER!
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 21
SOUR GRAPES
Once a hungry fox saw
some delicious-looking
grapes hanging from
a vine not too far above
his head. He leaped and
snapped at the grapes, but
they were still too high.
He tried again and again,
but the grapes remained
out of reach.
The fox leaped and
snapped until finally he
wore himself out. Slink-
ing away, he grumbled to
himself: Well, I bet those
grapes were sour anyway.
They werent even good
enough to eat.
The moral: People
sometimes criticize
things just because they
cant have them.
What does the expression
sour grapes mean?
Was the fox successful?
Did they look like they would
taste good?
Why was the fox trying
to get the grapes?
What were the grapes
hanging from?
How did the fox try to reach
the grapes?
What did the fox think about
the grapes at the end of the
story?
SOUR GRAPES
Answers
SOUR GRAPES
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Its easy to decide you didnt
really want something if you
find you cant have it.
no
yes (They were delicious-
looking.)
because he was hungry
a vine
by leaping and snapping
that they were sour and not
good enough to eat
SOUR GRAPES
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Tell about a time
you couldnt have some-
thing you wanted.
Which word doesnt be-
long in this list: grape,
orange, bean, plum?
Fix the verb: The fox
seen some grapes
hanging from a vine.
When youre hungry,
do you need food, water
or sleep?
Spell the four-letter word
that means the opposite
of sweet.
What two letters are NOT
pronounced in the word
spelled high?
How many syllables
are in the word
criticize?
SOUR GRAPES
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
How did it make
you feel?
bean (not a fruit)
The fox saw some
grapes . . .
food
sour (sour)
gh
three (criticize)
SOUR GRAPES
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 22
BILLS SKILLS
Skills are things that
people do well. Bill has
good computer skills. This
means he can control a
mouse, type accurately
on the keys, surf the Web
and play lots of different
games.
One of Bills favorite
computer activities is
sending and receiving
e-mail. Instead of writing a
letter on paper and mail-
ing it at the post office, Bill
uses his computer to send
messages. He can type a
note on his computer and
send it to someone elses
computer in just a few
seconds. The message trav-
els electronically between
computers. Thats why its
called electronic mail, or
e-mail for short.
BILLS SKILLS
Answers
What does the e in e-mail
stand for?
How long does it take
for e-mail to reach its
destination?
Name at least two things Bill
does on his computer.
What does it mean to have
a skill?
Is the mouse in this
story an animal or part
of a computer?
Is exploring the Web
called surfing, swimming
or sledding?
How do e-mail messages
travel?
BILLS SKILLS
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
electronic
a few seconds
He types, surfs the Web,
plays computer games and
sends e-mail.
to be able to do something
well
part of a computer
surfing
electronically
BILLS SKILLS
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Make a list of all the
things you do well.
Rearrange the letters
in the verb mail to
name a kind of bean.
Choose the right word:
Bill types (good, well)
on his computer.
Find another word for
skill: control, talent,
game, letter.
Spell the plural of
activity.
Put these words in
ABC order: message,
second, paper.
I have sent her an
e-mail message.
Whats a shorter way
to say I have?
BILLS SKILLS
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Are you skilled in
sports? A hobby?
A particular chore?
A school subject?
lima
well
talent
activities
(activities)
message, paper, second
Ive sent her an e-mail
message.
BILLS SKILLS
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
THE PLANT DOCTOR
George Washington
Carver was an American
scientist who
became famous
as the Plant
Doctor. But
Dr. Carver
never cared
about fame. He found
happiness in doing
experiments that would
help the whole world.
When farmers
grew more
peanuts
than people
could eat,
Dr. Carver invented 325
practical uses for them,
including ink and soap.
He also invented uses for
sweet potatoes and for
pecans, which could even
be used to pave highways!
Dr. Carver received
many honors. During
his lifetime, 18
schools were
named for him.
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 23
Which word does NOT describe
Dr. Carver: scientist, athlete,
inventor?
Did his experiments benefit
the whole world or just his
neighborhood?
What was Dr. Carvers
middle name?
Dr. Carver had a nickname.
What was it?
Farmers couldnt grow pea-
nuts, so Dr. Carver
showed them how.
True or false?
Dr. Carver was happy
because he was famous.
True or false?
Dr. Carver invented 325 uses
for something that grows.
What was it?
THE PLANT DOCTOR
Answers
THE PLANT DOCTOR
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
athlete
the whole world
Washington
the Plant Doctor
false (Farmers grew
more peanuts than
people could eat.)
false (He never cared
about fame.)
the peanut
THE PLANT DOCTOR
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
If you could invent
something to make the
world a better place,
what would it be?
What is the base word
in famous?
Fix the mistake:
There was more pecan
pie than we could ate.
Which part of the word
helpful is the suffix?
Spell the word for more
than one potato.
Which word does NOT
have the ar sound
in Carver: charge,
farmer, scare, scar?
What four-letter verb
do you see in the name
Washington?
THE PLANT DOCTOR
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Draw a picture of your
invention and write
a description of what
it could do.
fame
There was more pecan
pie than we could eat.
-ful
potatoes (po-
tatoes)
scare
wash
THE PLANT DOCTOR
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
SOUND SCIENCE
Question: Can sound
travel through a pencil?
Lets see:
1. Tie one end of a
string to a fork. Tie the
other end around a pencil.
2. Using a spoon, hit the
fork so it vibrates. Listen
to the sound: its volume
(loud or soft) and pitch
(high or low).
3. Now place the eraser
end of the pencil gently
against the outside of your
ear. Hit the fork, and you
have the answer.
Answer: Yes! The sound
waves from the vibrating
fork went up the string into
the pencil. The waves
traveled directly to your
ear, and you heard the
sound.
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 24
Does the text of this experi-
ment start with a question or a
statement?
How is sound like water
in the ocean?
What was the first thing
you were asked to do in this
experiment?
Does sound travel through
string?
What four objects are used
in this experiment?
In the experiment, which ob-
ject vibrated and made
a sound?
Sound can be loud or soft.
Is this called volume or pitch?
SOUND SCIENCE
Answers
SOUND SCIENCE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
a question
They both travel in waves.
(Genius Point!)
Tie one end of a string
to a fork.
yes (Sound waves traveled
through the string to the
pencil.)
string, a fork, a pencil
and a spoon
the fork
volume
SOUND SCIENCE
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Blow up a balloon, then
squeeze the air out of
it. How many different
sounds can you make?
Find the opposites:
high, low; loud, noisy;
soft, quiet.
Fix the verb in this
sentence: I hitted
the fork.
What two-syllable word
starts with an s and
means the opposite of
sound?
Which is the
correct spelling:
sceince
or science?
Which word does NOT
have the same vowel
sound as shout: out,
sound, spoon, around?
How many syllables
are in the word
conclusion?
SOUND SCIENCE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Can you create a
high-pitched sound?
A low-pitched sound?
Loud and quiet sounds?
high, low
I hit the fork.
silence
science
(science)
spoon
three (conclusion)
SOUND SCIENCE
Answers
CAMPING U.S.A
Dear Katy,
We did it! My family
and I camped from
sea to shining sea!
We started in Maine
on the Atlantic Ocean. Then we
drove west. We paddled canoes
where the St. Lawrence River
flows into Lake Ontario. It was
the first Great Lake I ever saw.
I took a picture of a moose at
Lake Superior, rode an inner
tube on the Mississippi River,
and watched antelope and
buffalo on an island in Great Salt
Lake. Finally, we reached
California on the
Pacific Ocean.
I saw a whale jump all the way
out of the water.
It was the best camping
adventure in history!
Your friend,
Becky
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 25
Becky camped on the shores
of two different oceans.
Name them.
Where did Becky ride in
an inner tube?
Name the first Great Lake
that Becky ever saw.
Is Becky writing to a friend
or a cousin?
Name the state where Becky
began her camping trip.
Did Becky watch antelope
and buffalo at Great Salt Lake
or Lake Superior?
Did Becky travel from west
to east or east to west?
CAMPING U.S.A.
Answers
CAMPING U.S.A.
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
the Pacific and Atlantic
Oceans
on the Mississippi River
Lake Ontario
a friend
Maine
Great Salt Lake
east to west
CAMPING U.S.A.
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Find a map of the
United States and put
a mark on the state
where you live.
Which word means
the same as ocean:
river, lake, sea?
Fix the mistake:
I catched a fish.
Today, we drive. Yester-
day, we . . .
what?
Which spelling is correct:
Missippi or
Mississippi?
Which word does NOT
have a silent letter: is-
land, history, picture?
What letters in camp
spell the word for some-
thing that helps
you find your way?
CAMPING U.S.A.
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Trace the route from your
state to a place youd like
to visit. What bodies of
water would you see?
sea
I caught a fish.
drove
Mississippi
(Mississippi)
history (The s in is-
land and the e
in picture are silent.)
map (map)
CAMPING U.S.A.
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 26
HOLA!
Most people who live in
Mexico speak Spanish.
They say hola when they
greet each other, and
adis or hasta maana
when they say good-bye.
Mexico lies just south of
the United States. It
has long beaches,
forests, mountains
and even volcanoes.
More people live in its
capital, Mexico City, than
in any other city in the
world.
Mexico City was built
on top of the ancient
capital of the Aztecs, who
created a powerful empire
in Mexico 800 years ago.
The ruins of their great
stone buildings and
pyramids can still
be seen today.
What ruins can still be seen
in Mexico today?
Mexico has volcanoes.
True or false?
How would you say good-bye
to a friend in Mexico?
What language is spoken by
most people in Mexico?
What does hola mean in
English?
Name the capital of Mexico.
Who built a powerful empire
in Mexico 800 years ago?
HOLA!
Answers
HOLA!
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
the ruins of the Aztecs stone
buildings and pyramids
true
adis or hasta maana
Spanish
hello
Mexico City
the Aztecs
HOLA!
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Make a list of all
the foreign words
you know.
Which words are close
in meaning: synonyms
or antonyms?
Are foreign words in
English sentences
always italicized or
capitalized?
What two smaller words
make up the word an-
other?
Spell the plural of city.
Is the a in the word
say pronounced as
a short vowel or long
vowel?
Rearrange the letters
in live to make a word
that means wicked.
HOLA!
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Do you know
the word for yes
in French (oui) and
in Spanish (s)?
synonyms
(Antonyms have op-
posite meanings.)
italicized
(Genius Point!)
an, other
cities (cities)
a long vowel
evil (evil)
HOLA!
Answers
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 27
DOWNHILL RACER
Amy pushes off. Whoosh!
Down the hill she flies! She
loves the feel of the wind
in her hair and the sting
of cold air on her face.
Shes in a world of her
own as she races past the
houses that line the hill.
All too soon, she reaches
the bottom and slows to a
stop. But theres time for
one more ride and maybe
another . . .
Trudging back up the
hill is tiring. Amy can
see her breath in the air
with every step. She
doesnt want to rest,
though. She keeps
going and going.
By the end of the day,
Amy is ready for a cup
of hot chocolate and a
comfortable chair!
What hot drink does she look
forward to?
Amy goes home after
two rides down the hill.
True or false?
Is she glad to get to the
bottom?
Where is Amy when the story
begins?
What does she feel in
her hair as she races down-
hill?
What can Amy see in the air
as she climbs to the top?
Why is she ready for a com-
fortable chair at the end of the
day?
DOWNHILL RACER
Answers
DOWNHILL RACER
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
hot chocolate
false (She keeps going and
going.)
no (She gets there all
too soon.)
at the top of the hill
the wind
her breath
Shes tired.
DOWNHILL RACER
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Make a list of your
favorite winter sports.
Find the antonyms:
Amy starts at the top
of the hill and races all
the way to the bottom.
Which kind of word
is used to describe
a noun: an adjective
or a verb?
Is dusk another word
for the beginning of
the day or the end of
the day?
Put a letter in front of
love to make a word
for something to wear
on your hand.
Which word has the most
vowels: own, air, end?
Put these words
in ABC order: stop,
slow, sting, step.
DOWNHILL RACER
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Is it more fun to watch
them or to do them
yourself?
top, bottom
an adjective
the end of the day
glove
air (a and i)
slow, step, sting, stop
DOWNHILL RACER
Answers
ASOKA THE KING
Two thousand years
ago, India was ruled by a
young king named Asoka.
One day, after leading his
army in a battle where
many people were hurt,
Asoka decided to stop
making war. Instead, he
began to study the lessons
of Buddha, who
taught that it was
wrong to hurt
living things.
As a follower of
Buddha, Asoka built
hospitals for the people
and animals of India.
He also planted trees and
dug wells for water.
And he made India
a peaceful place
to live.
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 28
Asoka didnt care at all about
animals. True or false?
Whose lessons did Asoka be-
gin to study?
Was Asoka old or young when
he led his army in battle?
Where did King Asoka live?
How long ago did he rule?
Why did Asoka decide to stop
making war?
Name at least two things
Asoka did for India.
ASOKA THE KING
Answers
ASOKA THE KING
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
false (He built hospitals for
animals.)
Buddhas lessons
young
India
2,000 years ago
because so many people
were hurt
He built hospitals, planted
trees, dug wells and made
India a peaceful place to live.
ASOKA THE KING
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Read all about India
in an almanac or
encyclopedia or on
the Internet.
Does the u in Buddha
sound like the oo in
book or pool?
Fix the verb in this sen-
tence: Asoka builded
hospitals.
Is ruler another name
for a teacher or a king?
Spell the word that be-
gins with y and means
the opposite
of old.
Turn the word stop
into a word for things
you can use for cooking
or planting.
The names of countries
and people always begin
with small letters. True
or false?
ASOKA THE KING
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Learn about Indias
ancient history as
well as its place in
the modern world.
pool
(Genius Point!)
Asoka built hospitals.
a king
young (young)
pots
false (Proper nouns be-
gin with capital letters.)
ASOKA THE KING
Answers
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 29
TIME FOR A CHANGE
Imagine that youre a
caterpillar and youve just
hatched from your egg.
In this stage of your life,
youre called a larva. You
crawl around for weeks,
munching on leaves and
growing strong. Then you
find a twig or a leaf
and build a hard case
around yourself.
While youre inside
this case, youre called
a pupa and you change
from a caterpillar to a
butterfly.
Finally, its time
to push free. At
first youre weak, but
soon youre ready to
fly. Food! you say to
yourself as you land on a
flower. The nectar fills you
up, and off you go on your
first butterfly adventure.
TIME FOR A CHANGE
Answers
Where do they find their food?
What happens inside
the cocoon?
Do caterpillars swim, crawl
or fly?
Caterpillars hatch from eggs.
True or false?
What is a caterpillar called
in its earliest stage of life?
Does each caterpillar find a
cocoon or make one itself?
What food do butterflies like?
TIME FOR A CHANGE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
in flowers
The caterpillar changes
into a butterfly.
They crawl.
true
a larva
Each caterpillar makes
its own cocoon.
nectar
TIME FOR A CHANGE
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Imagine that youre
an insect. Can you fly?
What do you eat?
When a caterpillar
munches, is it
feeding or flying?
Whats a shorter way
to say you are?
Find the word that
doesnt belong in this
group: egg, leaf, larva,
pupa.
Is the opposite
of strong spelled
we ek or
weak?
The words color, case
and caterpillar all begin
with a k sound. True or
false?
Which words rhyme:
hatch, special, catch,
nectar?
TIME FOR A CHANGE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
You could be an ant
or a bee. (Remember,
insects have six legs.)
feeding
youre
leaf (not a stage
of life)
weak (weak)
true
hatch, catch
TIME FOR A CHANGE
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 30
MILLIES NEW HOME
Millie Ryan was sad. She was
moving to a new city and
leaving her friends.
Dont worry, her dad
said. Youll make new
friends right away.
No, I wont, answered
Millie, trying not to cry.
But when the Ryans got
to their new home, the
neighbors were there to
greet them. Millie met Dan
and Fran, who were twins.
She also met Judy, Joey and
June. Before she could even
unpack, her new friends
whisked her off to Judys
birthday party.
Millie waved good-bye
to her parents and shouted,
Im going to love it here!
Where was Millie going
when she waved good-bye
to her parents?
How many new friends
did Millie meet?
What was Millie trying not
to do?
Why was Millie Ryan feeling
sad?
What did her dad say to
comfort her?
What did the Ryans see
when they arrived at their
new home?
Which new friend
had the same name as
a month of the year?
MILLIES NEW HOME
Answers
MILLIES NEW HOME
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
to a birthday party
five
She was trying not to cry.
She was moving to a new city
and leaving her friends.
He told her that she would
make new friends right away.
the neighbors (They were
there to greet them.)
June
MILLIES NEW HOME
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Think of all the ways
you could make new
neighbors feel at home.
Find a synonym of
try: fly, whisk, attempt,
worry.
What word was used
to make all three
of these contractions:
wont, dont, cant?
Youve just greeted
someone. Did you say
hello or good-bye?
Which spelling is
correct: friend
or freind?
Find the rhyming words:
met, meet, greet, shout.
Which word comes
first in a dictionary:
pack or parent?
MILLIES NEW HOME
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
What would you want
people to do if you were
a new neighbor?
attempt
not (will not,
do not, cannot)
(Genius Point!)
hello
friend (friend)
meet, greet
pack
MILLIES NEW HOME
Answers
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 31
WHAT IS WHEAT?
Huge fields of wheat
stretch across the
American Midwest.
Wheat is a grain that
looks like ordinary
green grass when its
young and then turns
golden brown as it ripens
in the sun.
By harvest time, it may
stand five feet tall!
Wheat provides us with
many foods. The seeds
of the wheat plant are
ground up to make flour,
which is the basic ingredient
in bread, pastry and pasta.
Wheat is also used to make
breakfast cereal.
And when wheat is dried
into hay, it feeds
many farm animals.
What do we call dried wheat?
What part of the wheat plant
is used to make flour?
Does wheat ripen to a silvery
gray color or a golden brown
color?
Would you expect to see
huge fields of wheat in the
American West, Midwest or
East?
What does wheat look like
when its young?
How tall can wheat grow
by harvest time?
Name a kind of food made
from flour.
WHAT IS WHEAT?
Answers
WHAT IS WHEAT?
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
hay
the seeds
a golden brown color
Midwest
ordinary green grass
five feet tall
bread, pastry, pasta
WHAT IS WHEAT?
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Pasta can be made from
wheat. How many kinds
of pasta can you name?
Find a synonym of
huge: basic, golden,
enormous, young.
In grammar, plural
means more than one.
Find the plural nouns:
feet, wheat, fields, hay.
When farmers harvest
wheat, do they plant it
or gather it?
Do the seeds of wheat
give us flour
or flower?
How many syllables
are in the word ordi-
nary?
Put these words in
ABC order: pasta,
grass, golden, cereal.
WHAT IS WHEAT?
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
What is your favorite
pasta? How do you like
it served?
enormous
feet, fields
They gather it.
flour (flour)
four (ordinary)
cereal, golden, grass,
pasta
WHAT IS WHEAT?
Answers
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 32
THE BIG APPLE
Margie and Dan are
going to the Big Apple.
Thats the nickname for
New York City.
Margie will window-
shop as they walk along
the avenues. Shell see all
the latest fashions in the
store windows.
Dan will get to
choose the restaurant
where theyll have dinner.
Margie and Dan will
go sightseeing together.
Theyll climb the Statue
of Liberty and look across
the water at the citys tall
skyscrapers. Theyll also
visit Ellis Island and learn
about the immigrants who
came to America over
100 years ago.
THE BIG APPLE
Answers
Who will they learn about
on the island?
What are New York Citys
tall buildings called?
Who will get to choose
the restaurant?
Is New York City nicknamed
the Big Apple or the Big
Grape?
What will Margie see in the
windows of New York Citys
stores?
What monument will Margie
and Dan climb?
What island will Margie
and Dan visit when they
go sightseeing?
THE BIG APPLE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
the immigrants who came to
America over 100 years ago
skyscrapers
Dan
the Big Apple
the latest fashions
the Statue of Liberty
Ellis Island
THE BIG APPLE
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
What city would you
like to visit?
Which word means
the same as newest:
later, lately, latest?
Which words should
start with a capital letter:
margie visited new york
city?
Find the words that
mean the opposite:
tall, busy, high, short.
Spell the day of the week
that comes after Friday.
Does the first letter
in the word city sound
like an s or a k?
Dan is to Daniel
as Margie is to . . .
what?
THE BIG APPLE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Include all the places
youd like to see there.
latest
Margie, New York City
(Proper nouns are
always capitalized.)
tall, short
Saturday (Sat-
urday)
(Genius Point!)
an s
Marjorie or Margaret
(Dan and Margie are
nicknames.)
THE BIG APPLE
Answers
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 33
EATING RIGHT
One of the best ways to stay
healthy is to eat all the right
foods. Some of the most
important ones are listed
below:
Fruits and vegetables.
Vitamins and minerals in
these foods are
important to good
health, especially when
youre still growing.
Breads and cereals, or
grains. Nutrients from this
group give you quick
energy and help you
digest other foods.
Milk and cheese. You
get protein and fats from
these foods. Your body
stores fats for extra energy.
Fish, meat and soy.
Protein in these foods
builds and repairs
the cells
in your body.
Which group is also called
grains?
Do breads and cereals give you
quick energy or help you get
to sleep?
What do proteins build
and repair?
Why is it important to eat
the right foods?
Each food group provides the
same nutrients. True or false?
Which food group has both
proteins and fats?
Finish this sentence:
Fruits and vegetables are
full of vitamins and . . .
EATING RIGHT
Answers
EATING RIGHT
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
breads and cereals
They give you quick energy.
the cells in your body
to stay healthy
false (The food groups
provide different nutrients.)
milk and cheese
minerals
EATING RIGHT
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Keep a record of what
you eat in a day.
Does the word repair
mean to mix or
to fix?
Find all the adjectives:
Our delicious lunch
was served on big blue
plates.
Find another word for
quick: extra, fast, sick,
healthy.
Spell the word that be-
gins with d and means
the opposite
of same.
How many syllables
are in the word
cereal?
Turn the word eat
into something you
can drink.
EATING RIGHT
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Are you eating
healthfully? If not,
what changes should
you make?
to fix
delicious, big, blue
fast
di fferent (dif-
ferent)
(Genius Point!)
three (cereal)
tea
EATING RIGHT
Answers
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 34
BURROWING IN
I have stripes around my
eyes, along my sides and
on my tail. In the summer,
you can hear me chatter-
ing loudly in the woods.
In the fall, you can watch
me fill the pouches in
my cheeks with nuts and
seeds. Who am I?
Im a chipmunk!
When the cold weather
comes, I settle down in my
burrow, where Ive stored
the nuts and seeds. I sleep
for weeks at a time, and
every once in
a while I poke my head out
for a breath of fresh air. I
spend the whole winter this
way, warm and cozy in my
burrow, waiting for spring.
Why does a chipmunk poke
its head out?
In what season do they take
a long nap?
What does a chipmunk put in
its cheeks?
Is this story told by a person or
a chipmunk?
What does a chipmunk have
around its eyes?
In cold weather, where do
chipmunks settle down?
In what season can you hear
them chattering in the woods?
BURROWING IN
Answers
BURROWING IN
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
to get a breath of fresh air
winter
nuts and seeds
a chipmunk
stripes
in their burrows
summer
BURROWING IN
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Look up information on
other animals that sleep
during the winter.
Does the phrase
once in a while
mean always, never
or sometimes?
What punctuation
mark ends a telling
sentence?
Find another word
for snooze: play,
run, nap, eat.
Which word describes
what its like outside: w
hether or we
ather?
Name the consonants in
the word chipmunk.
Put these words in
ABC order: nuts, berries,
seeds, acorns.
BURROWING IN
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Dont forget ground-
hogs
and bears.
sometimes
a period
nap
weather
(weather)
c, h, p, m, n, k
acorns, berries,
nuts, seeds
BURROWING IN
Answers
SITTING BULL
Sitting Bull belonged to
the Lakota nation, also
known as the Sioux. As a
boy, he was called Slow
because he always
thought before he
acted. Then,
when he became a great
leader, he was given the
name Sitting Bull because
he was like a powerful bull
buffalo who couldnt be
moved against his will.
When his people were
pushed off their land,
Sitting Bull encouraged
them to fight back. In 1876,
at Little Bighorn River in
Montana, his warriors defeated
General George Custer
and his army.
Today, Sitting Bull is
remembered as a
Native American
hero who bravely
defended the
rights of his
people.
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 35
How is he remembered today?
Where did the battle
take place?
What did the name
Sitting Bull mean?
Sitting Bull belonged
to an Indian nation.
What was it called?
Was the name Slow an insult or
a compliment?
Did Lakota warriors defeat
an army led by George Custer
or George Washington?
Did Sitting Bull live in
the 19th century or the
20th century?
SITTING BULL
Answers
SITTING BULL
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
as a Native American hero
who bravely defended the
rights of his people
at Little Bighorn River
in Montana
a powerful bull buffalo
that couldnt be moved
against his will
the Lakota nation
(also known as the Sioux)
a compliment (Sitting Bull
always thought before he
acted.)
George Custer
the 19th century
SITTING BULL
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
If your name was
changed so it told
people about you, what
would you be called?
Which word means
the same as warrior:
writer, leader, fighter?
Which is correct:
He thought before he
acted or He thinked
before he acted?
Is a native someone
who is born in a certain
country or someone
who moves there?
How do you spell the word
that means forever:
allways or
always?
Find the word with the
same ie sound as
chief: pie, belief, tied.
What is the base word
in powerful?
SITTING BULL
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Make up new names for
your friends and family.
fighter
He thought before he
acted.
someone who is born
in a country
always (always)
belief
power
SITTING BULL
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
G 2 READ STORY 36
A SCARY NIGHT
The scouts were listening
to ghost stories around
the campfire. All of a
sudden, a twig snapped,
and then another, as if
someone was sneaking
behind the cabins. A
long moment of silence,
then a soft grunt and
scratching sounds . . .
There! Over by the dining
hall! A dark shape in the
shadows. Was it a ghost?
Or a hungry monster?
Clang! A garbage can
rolled onto the
stone walk. In
the shadows, the scouts
could see a raccoon run-
ning off with a piece
of lettuce in its mouth!
What did the animal have
in its mouth?
What was the next thing
they heard?
What sudden sound did they
hear?
Where were the scouts sitting?
What stories were they
listening to?
What did the scouts think
the sound might be?
What animal did they see?
A SCARY NIGHT
Answers
A SCARY NIGHT
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
a piece of lettuce
a falling garbage can
a twig snapping
around the campfire
ghost stories
a ghost or a hungry monster
a raccoon
A SCARY NIGHT
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Write your scary story.
Is a grunt a kind
of noise or a kind
of movement?
Would you expect to
find a comma at the
beginning, middle or
end of a sentence?
Find two pairs of oppo-
sites: The long silence
was followed by a short,
loud noise.
Spell the name of the
food group that begins
with v and includes
lettuce, peas and carrots.
Which word has the most
consonants: strange,
silence, shadow, shape?
Rearrange the letters
in the word sneak
to make the name of
a slithery reptile.
A SCARY NIGHT
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Read it to friends to see
if it frightens them!
a kind of noise
middle
long, short;
silence, noise
vegetables
(vegetables)
(Genius Point!)
strange (s, t, r, n, g)
snake
A SCARY NIGHT
Answers
G 2 READ STORY 37
BIGGER THAN LIFE
The hardworking settlers
of early America made
up stories about men
who could do impossible
things. One of the most
famous of these tall
tales was about Paul
Bunyan, a lumberjack
whose helper was a giant
blue ox named Babe.
Paul Bunyan was a giant
himself. He could chop
down 500 trees before he
even had breakfast. He
and Babe worked their
way all across the north,
leaving huge footprints
in the ground. And when
they traveled through
Minnesota,
their footprints
filled up with
water and formed
10,000 lakes!
Where were 10,000 lakes
formed?
Were Paul and Babe very small
or very large?
Who was his helper?
Was Paul Bunyan real
or make-believe?
What was his occupation?
It took Paul Bunyan all day
to chop down 500 trees.
True or false?
What marks did they leave in
the ground as they traveled
from place to place?
BIGGER THAN LIFE
Answers
BIGGER THAN LIFE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Minnesota
very large
(They were giants.)
an ox named Babe
make-believe
He was a lumberjack.
false (He could chop down 500
trees before breakfast.)
footprints
BIGGER THAN LIFE
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Do you know any
other tall tales?
Can you make up
one of your own?
Use two of these words
to make one word: fast,
foot, break, tree.
Correct the mistake
in this sentence:
Paul and Babe they
were friends.
Which adjective means
the opposite of huge:
tiny, tall, tasty, terrible?
The plural of box
is spelled boxes.
How do you spell the
plural of ox?
The giant likes to
eat jam sandwiches.
How many words begin
with the same sound?
Rearrange the letters
in felt to find a word
that means the opposite
of stayed.
BIGGER THAN LIFE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
In your own story,
be sure to make
the people or animals
bigger than life.
breakfast
Paul and Babe were
friends. (The word
they is not needed.)
tiny
oxen (oxen)
two (giant and jam)
left (left)
BIGGER THAN LIFE
Answers
G 2 READ STORY 38
A NEW NEIGHBOR
Jake woke up early. A
strange noise was coming
from his bedroom window.
Opening the curtains, he
saw a bird in the bush
just a few feet away.
The bird was pulling
at a twig with her beak.
She pulled and twisted
the twig until finally it
broke off the bush.
Then the bird flew off
with the twig in her beak
and landed on a branch
of a nearby
tree. To Jakes
surprise, there were
other twigs neatly woven
together on the branch.
The bird was building
a nest.
Looks like I have a
new neighbor! said Jake.
What did Jake mean when he
said he had a new neighbor?
Where did the bird land when
she left the bush?
What did he have to do before
he could look out the window?
Did Jake wake up early
or late?
Did he hear a strange noise
or a familiar noise?
What was the first thing
he saw?
What was the bird building?
A NEW NEIGHBOR
Answers
A NEW NEIGHBOR
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
The bird would be living
right next to his house.
on a branch of a nearby tree
He had to open the curtains.
early
a strange noise
a bird pulling at a twig
a nest
A NEW NEIGHBOR
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Write or tell about
a time you were sur-
prised by something
you saw.
Feather is to bird
as branch is to . . .
what?
To Jakes surprise, a
nest was being built.
Which word needs an
apostrophe?
Find the word for
a small branch: tree,
bush, twig, beak.
Spell the past tense
of break.
Put these words in
ABC order: bird, bush,
beak, branch.
What word for a number
can you find in nest?
A NEW NEIGHBOR
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Was it serious or funny?
Did it make you sad
or happy?
tree
Jakes
twig
broke
(broke)
beak, bird, branch, bush
ten (10)
A NEW NEIGHBOR
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
G2 READ STORY 39
THE SOGGY SWAMP
In a smelly, soggy swamp
There lived a little frog
Who surveyed his domain
From his seat on a log.
His dull and dreary days
Passed by very slowly
Until a dapper, dandy dude
Entered the swamp so
lowly.
This bright and brainy boy
Had something in his hand:
A big, blue, bouncy bucket
That seemed so
very grand.
But quietly and quickly
The frog was put in jail!
Oh, oh! No doubt about it,
His home was now a pail!
With one big crazy croak
For he must always roam
He gave a long, leggy leap
Back to his own
murky home.
How did the frog get back
home?
What was big, blue and
bouncy?
The days went by
very quickly for him.
True or false?
Where did the frog live?
Did he sit on a rock, a log
or a lily pad?
Was the boy dull and dreary
or bright and brainy?
Was the frog happy to be
in a pail?
THE SOGGY SWAMP
Answers
THE SOGGY SWAMP
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
He leaped out of the pail.
the bucket
false (The days went by
very slowly.)
in a smelly, soggy swamp
a log
bright and brainy
no (He must be free
to roam.)
THE SOGGY SWAMP
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
What do you think hap-
pened when the frog
went back home?
Find the words that
have the same mean-
ing: bucket, swamp,
pail, home.
Fix the verb in this sen-
tence: The frog sitted
upon a log.
Find the opposite
of soggy: wet, dry,
deep, high.
Spell the word that be-
gins with q and means
the opposite
of loud.
Which two words be-
gin with the same two
consonants: bright, blue,
brainy, bouncy?
Put these words in ABC
order: murky, dandy,
smelly, crazy.
THE SOGGY SWAMP
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
What other animals
might be living in the
same swamp?
bucket, pail
The frog sat upon
a log.
dry
quiet (quiet)
bright, brainy
crazy, dandy, murky,
smelly
THE SOGGY SWAMP
Answers
G 2 READ STORY 40
THE FORTY-NINERS
More than 150 years ago,
gold was discovered
in California. The news
spread quickly, and by
1849 the Gold Rush was
under way. Traveling
overland in covered wag-
ons or sailing from
other parts of the world,
people arrived by the
thousands to dig for gold.
The Forty-Niners
used pickaxes to dig in
the dirt and rocks. They
dug deep mines in the
ground. Some searched
the rivers, scooping mud
and water into pans,
then swirling the mixture
to see if any gold would
settle in the bottom.
Most Forty-Niners
found very little gold, but
others struck it rich!
All the Forty-Niners found
a lot of gold. True or false?
To dig in the dirt, did
the Forty-Niners use
hammers or pickaxes?
Is gold a worthless metal
or a valuable metal?
According to the story,
where was gold discovered
more than 150 years ago?
Why is the story called
The Forty-Niners?
How did the people travel
overland to California?
Why are people who looked
for gold in rivers sometimes
called panners?
THE FORTY-NINERS
Answers
THE FORTY-NINERS
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
false (Most found very
little gold.)
pickaxes
a valuable metal
in California
because the year of the
Gold Rush was 1849
in covered wagons
because they used pans to
scoop up mud and water
THE FORTY-NINERS
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
The Forty-Niners dug
gold mines. What other
kinds of mines can you
name?
Is news a plural noun
or a singular noun?
Finish this series:
good, better, . . .
Would you expect to
find a gold mine above
or below the ground?
Spell the number 40.
Which word has a long
o sound: hoping or
hopping?
Put these words in ABC
order: gold, rich, hills,
wagons.
THE FORTY-NINERS
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Examples include
diamond mines, silver
mines and coal mines.
a singular noun
best
below
forty (forty)
hoping
gold, hills, rich, wagons
THE FORTY-NINERS
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
G2 READ STORY 41
THE RIGHT BALANCE
Oh, drat! said Snooky.
I cant make this pencil
stand on its point. Its just
impossible!
No, its possible, said
her older brother, Ted.
The earths gravity is
pulling on the pencil and
making it fall over. But if
we change its center of
gravity, we can make the
pencil balance perfectly.
Ted wrapped a wire
around the pencil and
clipped two clothespins to
the ends of the wire. The
weight of the clothespins
will lower the pencils
center of gravity
so it can stand
on its point,
he said. Here, you try.
It worked!
My hero,
said Snooky.
Does balance make something
stand up or fall down?
What changed the pencils
center of gravity?
What was pulling on
the pencil?
What was Snooky trying
to do?
Did she succeed or fail when
she worked on her own?
What did Ted use to make
the pencil stand?
At the end, what does Snooky
call her brother?
THE RIGHT BALANCE
Answers
THE RIGHT BALANCE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
stand up
the weight of the clothespins
(Genius Point!)
the earths gravity
She was trying to make a pen-
cil stand on its point.
She failed.
wire and clothespins
her hero
THE RIGHT BALANCE
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Try Teds solution
for balancing a pencil
on its point.
Which word has
the same meaning
as center: middle,
bottom, top?
To show strong feeling
in a story, do you use
a question mark or an
exclamation point?
What is the opposite
of impossible?
Do you use a scale to
measure wait or
weight?
Which word has a
silent w: wire, watch,
wrap, work?
Find a five-letter word in
gravity for something
you put on food.
THE RIGHT BALANCE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Can you think of
other solutions? Try
balancing other long
objects on their ends.
middle
an exclamation point
(or exclamation mark)
possible
weight (weight)
wrap
gravy
THE RIGHT BALANCE
Answers
G 2 READ STORY 42
A RIDDLE
You can skate on me in
cold weather, but I vanish
into thin air when I get
too hot. What am I?
If your answer to this
riddle is water, then
you already know a bit
about chemistry. Chemists
look at something in nature
and ask two important
questions: What is it made
of? and How does it
change into something
else? The chemists who
first asked these questions
about water discovered
that its made of two
gases called hydrogen and
oxygen. They gave it the
chemical formula H2O.
Today, chemists around
the world are solving new
riddles all
the time.
A RIDDLE
Answers
What do chemists around the
world try to solve?
What two gases make up
water?
What happens to water when
it gets too hot?
Is this story really about
water or about the science
of chemistry?
What can you skate on
in cold weather?
Give one question a chemist
might ask about something
in nature.
What is the chemical formula
for water?
A RIDDLE
Questions
3rd PASS
GRADE 2 READ
riddles, or questions about
things in nature
hydrogen and oxygen
It vanishes into thin air.
the science of chemistry
ice
What is it made of? How does
it change into something else?
H2O
A RIDDLE
Answers
3rd PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Think of things in
nature that you want to
know more about, then
read all about them.
How many four-letter
words can you make
from the letters in the
word change?
Find the verbs in this
sentence: Chemists
ask questions and do
experiments.
Which is a plural noun:
people or person?
Spell the plural of the
word gas.
What consonant is NOT
pronounced in the word
answer?
Turn this question into
a telling sentence:
Is it cold outside?
A RIDDLE
Questions
3rd PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Rocks and oil are two
possibilities.
ache, cage, cane,
each, hang
ask, do
people
gases (gases)
w
It is cold outside.
A RIDDLE
Answers
3rd PASS
GRADE 2 READ
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 43
PATTY AND GERTIE
Patty the porcupine and
Gertie the goose were
talking.
What is it like to have
feathers? asked Patty.
Its nice, said Gertie.
Feathers are light and
fluffy. If I need to be safe,
they help me fly away. What
is it like to have spines?
Its nice, said Patty.
Usually, my spines lie
flat. But if I need to be
safe, they stick straight
out to protect me.
The two friends were
silent for a moment. Then
Gertie said, I thought I
might like to have spines.
But feathers are good for
geese and spines are good
for porcupines.
I agree, said Patty. Im
glad to be me!
PATTY AND GERTIE
Answers
At the end of the story,
Patty says she wishes she
had feathers. True or false?
What does Gertie do when
she needs to be safe?
Which two words describe
feathers: sharp, light, spiky,
fluffy?
What are Patty and Gertie
doing when the story begins?
Is Gertie a goose or
a porcupine?
Do Pattys spines stick out
when she feels safe or when
shes in danger?
Are Patty and Gertie friends
or enemies?
PATTY AND GERTIE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
false (She says shes glad
to be a porcupine.)
She flies away.
light, fluffy
talking
a goose
when shes in danger
friends
PATTY AND GERTIE
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Make a list of all
the reasons youre
glad to be you.
Does usually mean
always, almost always or
almost never?
Whats a shorter way
to say It is nice?
Find a synonym of
protect: fly, lie,
guard, stick.
Spell the word for more
than one goose.
Find the rhyming words:
fluffy, goofy, spiffy, stuffy.
Which name comes
first in ABC order:
Patty or Gertie?
PATTY AND GERTIE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Answers may include
family members, happy
experiences, favorite
possessions, etc.
almost always
(Genius Point!)
Its nice.
guard
geese (geese)
fluffy, stuffy
Gertie
PATTY AND GERTIE
Answers
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 44 pg 00
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Abraham Lincoln was
born in Kentucky in 1809.
Abe loved telling jokes
and reading every kind of
book. He was honest and
kind. At the time, people
owned slaves, and Abe
believed that owning slaves
was wrong.
After Abraham Lincoln
was elected President in
1860, the Civil War began.
It was a war between the
North and the South, and
it lasted for four long
years. When it was over,
slavery was no longer
allowed in the United
States.
Americans will
always remember
Abraham Lincoln.
He helped make
our nation a place
of freedom and
justice for all.
What was no longer allowed
after the war was over?
What war began after Lincoln
was elected President?
As a boy, did Lincoln read
only mysteries or all kinds
of books?
Lincolns nickname was Abe.
What was his first name?
Where was President Lincoln
born?
Was Lincoln elected President
in 1776, 1860 or 1918?
How long did the war last?
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Answers
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
slavery
the Civil War
all kinds of books
Abraham
Kentucky
1860
four years
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Draw a picture
of a person who is
your hero.
Find another word
for start: believe, be-
gin, between.
Which letters should be
capitalized: president
abraham lincoln?
Which word means
the same as liberty:
freedom, justice,
kindness, honesty?
Is the opposite of war
spelled piece
or peace?
Which letter is silent in
the word wrong?
How many syllables
are in the word
remember?
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Tell why you think that
person is a hero.
begin
P, A, L (President Abra-
ham Lincoln)
freedom
peace (peace)
w
three (remember)
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Answers
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 45 pg 00
EDDIES
ADVENTURE
Im bored, said Eddie.
Why not go outside for
a while? his mother said.
All kinds of adventures are
waiting out there. Just use
your imagination!
Eddie went outside,
but nothing caught his
imagination. Then he
looked up. A big cloud was
moving slowly across the
sky, and he began to see
the shape of a buffalo with
horns and a tail. A smaller
buffalo was trailing behind,
and in the distance he
could make out the rest
of the herd. The herd
lumbered happily along,
stopping now and then to
graze on the prairie grass.
An hour went by before
Eddie went back inside.
What did he do when he
stopped?
What did he see next?
Where did Eddie go?
Was Eddie sick, bored
or busy?
What did Eddies mom tell
him to use?
What shape did he see first
in the sky?
How long did Eddie watch
the clouds?
EDDIES ADVENTURE
Answers
EDDIES ADVENTURE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
He went back inside.
a smaller buffalo, then the rest
of the herd
outside
bored
his imagination
the shape of a buffalo
an hour
EDDIES ADVENTURE
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Go outside and look at
the clouds. Then tell or
write a story about the
shapes you see.
A group of buffalo is
called a pack. What is a
group of lions called?
Find the verbs: Ed-
die went outside and
looked up at the sky.
Does the word behind
mean the same as
in front or in back?
Which word can
describe a person:
bored or
board?
Does the word big have
a long i or a short i?
How many syllables
are in the word imagina-
tion?
EDDIES ADVENTURE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Be sure to say how the
different shapes relate
to each other.
a pride
went, looked
in back
bored (bored)
a short i
five (imagination)
EDDIES ADVENTURE
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 46 pg 00
THE RIGHT TO RIDE
On December 1, 1955, in
Montgomery, Alabama,
a black woman refused
to surrender her bus seat
to a white man. Her name
was Rosa Parks, and she was
arrested for breaking the
law. A year later, thanks to
her courageous efforts, the
United States Supreme Court
decided that the law must be
changed.
Rosa Parks went on to
march with Martin Luther
King Jr. She wanted to
be known as a person
who is concerned about
freedom and equality and
justice and prosperity for
all people, and her wish
came true. We will always
remember her as the
mother of civil rights.
Which title tells the whole
story: A Bus Ride or
A National Hero?
Which civil rights leader did
Rosa Parks march with?
What eventually happened
to the bus law?
Why was Rosa Parks arrested?
When and where did her arrest
take place?
Name the court that made the
final decision about the law.
Name at least two things
that Rosa Parks wanted for
all people.
THE RIGHT TO RIDE
Answers
THE RIGHT TO RIDE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
A National Hero
Martin Luther King Jr.
The law was changed.
She refused to surrender
her bus seat to a white man.
on December 1, 1955, in
Montgomery, Alabama
the United States Supreme
Court
freedom, equality, justice,
prosperity
THE RIGHT TO RIDE
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Look up Martin Luther
King Jr. in a book or on
the Internet.
Find another way to say
surrender: give up,
give out, give off.
The bus was filled with
people. Which words
are nouns?
Are people who ride
buses called luggage
or passengers?
Spell the month that
follows November.
Does the word civil start
with an s sound
or a k sound?
Names of people are
always capitalized. True
or false?
THE RIGHT TO RIDE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Read about all
the reasons he was
a great man.
give up
bus, people
passengers
December
(December)
an s sound
true (Proper nouns are
always capitalized.)
THE RIGHT TO RIDE
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 47 pg 00
BILLS, BILLS, BILLS
When you look up a word
in the dictionary, you
might find that it has two or
more meanings.
The word bill is
a good example:
A bill is a
birds beak. Birds use
their bills to pick up
worms and insects or ma-
terials to make their nests.
A bill is also a piece
of paper money. The
one-dollar bill has George
Washingtons
picture on it.
Another
kind of bill is
the piece of paper
that tells how much
money you owe for
something you bought or
used. For instance, res-
taurant customers pay
the bill for their meal, and
the telephone bill has
to be paid every
month.
How many meanings of
the word bill are given
on the story card?
What are dollar bills made of?
What do birds use their
bills for?
What kind of book tells you
what a word means?
A word can have only one
meaning. True or false?
Whose picture is on the
one-dollar bill?
How often do people have to
pay their telephone bill?
BILLS, BILLS, BILLS
Answers
BILLS, BILLS, BILLS
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
three
paper
to pick up food and materials
for their nests
a dictionary
false (A word can have many
meanings.)
George Washingtons picture
every month
BILLS, BILLS, BILLS
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Bill is also a nickname
for William. How many
B nicknames can
you think of?
Whats a shorter way
to say He will pay the
bill?
Fix this sentence:
In my family, saving
money is most easy
for Phil.
Find a kind of pic-
ture: paper, portrait,
piece, payment.
Which word refers
to money: sense
or cents?
Find the two sets of
rhyming words: beak,
luck, leak, duck.
Which comes first in
a dictionary: penny, dime,
nickel, quarter?
BILLS, BILLS, BILLS
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Examples include Betty
(for Elizabeth), Bob (for
Robert) and Barbie (for
Barbara).
Hell pay the bill.
In my family, saving
money is easiest for
Phil.
portrait
cents (cents)
beak, leak; luck, duck
dime (followed by nickel,
penny, quarter)
BILLS, BILLS, BILLS
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 48
SONG DOGS
Its late evening on the
prairie. The stars are
twinkling. Everything is
quiet until a long, loud
howl breaks the silence.
Is it a wolf? No, its his
close cousin, the little
coyote. Out west, coyotes
are called song dogs
because of the musical
sounds they make. They
also yip and bark as they
play. Coyotes are great
athletes, and they
can run for hours
without getting tired.
You can spot a
coyote by its pointy nose
and bushy, black-tipped
tail. Coyotes are always
curious. They love to know
whats going on in the
world, especially in
peoples garbage
cans!
What can coyotes do for hours
without getting tired?
Describe the coyotes tail.
Why are coyotes called
song dogs?
What is the setting of this
story?
What is the relationship be-
tween a coyote and a wolf?
When coyotes play,
do they yip and bark
or hoot and howl?
Coyotes are not curious.
True or false?
SONG DOGS
Answers
SONG DOGS
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
run
bushy, black-tipped
because of the musical sounds
they make
the prairie
Theyre cousins.
(Both animals belong to
the canine family.)
They yip and bark.
false (They like to know
whats going on.)
SONG DOGS
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
The fox is another cous-
in of the coyote. Find
out why they belong to
the same family.
Find the adjectives:
point, pointy, bush,
bushy.
Fix this sentence:
The stars is bright
tonight.
What two four-letter
words do you see in
twinkle?
Spell the plural of wolf.
Which three words begin
with the same sound:
coyote, cousin, curious,
chase?
Song is to singer as
art is to . . . what?
SONG DOGS
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Do you think dogs
belong to the same
family? Tell why or
why not.
pointy, bushy (Adjec-
tives are words that
describe.)
The stars are bright
tonight.
twin, wink
(Genius Point!)
wolves (wolves)
coyote, cousin, curious
(Chase begins with
a ch sound, not a k
sound.)
artist
SONG DOGS
Answers
STARS AND STRIPES
The stars in the American
flag stand for the 50 states.
Each time a new state was
added to the United States, a
star was added to the flag.
The stripes in the flag stand
for the 13 original colonies.
Betsy Ross is given
credit for sewing the first
American flag in 1776.
George Washington
reportedly explained the
stars and stripes this way:
We take the stars and the
blue union from heaven,
the red from our mother
country, separating it by
white stripes, thus showing
we have separated from
her; and the white stripes
shall go down to posterity
representing liberty.
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 49
STARS AND STRIPES
Answers
Which phrase describes Eng-
land in the story:
mother country or
daughter country?
What happened to the flag
each time a state was added
to the country?
What do the stripes in todays
flag stand for?
Why is the American flag called
the Stars and Stripes?
What is Betsy Ross given credit
for?
What do the stars in the flag
stand for?
In the story, who explained
the colors of the flag?
STARS AND STRIPES
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
mother country
A star was added.
the 13 original colonies
because its symbols are
stars and stripes
sewing the first American flag
the 50 states
George Washington
STARS AND STRIPES
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Look in an almanac or
history book to find the
date when each state
joined the country.
Most western states
are newer than the
eastern states. Which
words are antonyms?
Which is a sentence?
1) Colors of the flag.
2) The flag flies high.
Find another word for
flag: blanket, banner,
border, bandanna.
Which word spells
the name of a color:
blew or blue?
If the s and t in
the word stripe are
consonants, what
are the i and e?
What three initials are
used as an abbreviation
for the United States
of America?
STARS AND STRIPES
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Alaska and Hawaii
became states in 1959.
Which was first?
western, eastern
2) The flag flies high.
banner
blue (blue)
vowels
U.S.A.
STARS AND STRIPES
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 50
COSMIC CRUSADERS
Ross and Jimmy have just
landed on the last planet
of Cosmic Crusaders, their
favorite computer game.
Now, as co-captains of
the Shooting Star, their
mission is to steer their
spaceship back to Earth.
To chart a course home,
they zoom from planet to
planet, collecting pieces of
an ancient galaxy map. Only
one piece is still missing.
I see it! exclaims Jimmy.
Over there by the giant
green alien . . .
Click on it! Ross yells.
With a click of the
mouse, their mission is
completed. They cheer as
their spaceship
rockets back to
Earth.
What do the boys do as their
spaceship rockets back to
Earth?
What does Jimmy see over by
the giant green alien?
Whats the name of the
spaceship in the game?
Does Ross and Jimmys
computer game take them
into space or to the center
of Earth?
What is their mission?
Why do the boys zoom from
planet to planet?
What happens when Jimmy
clicks on the last piece?
COSMIC CRUSADERS
Answers
COSMIC CRUSADERS
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
They cheer.
the last piece
the Shooting Star
into space
to steer their spaceship safely
back to Earth
to collect pieces of an ancient
galaxy map
The boys mission is
completed.
COSMIC CRUSADERS
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Make up a game about
space that you can play
on a computer or any
other way.
Does missing mean
the same as absent
or present?
Does the word they
refer to one person or
more than one person?
Whats the difference
between a captain and
a co-captain?
Spell the name of our
planet.
Find the rhyming words:
quick, rocket, click,
collect.
Fill in the missing word:
I see, you see, he . . .
COSMIC CRUSADERS
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Be sure your game has
a challenge that can be
met by the players.
absent
more than one person
A captain leads a group.
Co-captains share the
leadership of a group.
Earth (Earth)
quick, click
sees
COSMIC CRUSADERS
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 51
CHINESE NEW YEAR
The Chinese New Year
is a time to rejoice. The
house is swept to clean
away any bad fortune.
Windows and doors are
decorated to welcome
happiness, wealth and
good luck.
On New Years
Eve, families feast on
dumplings and sweet rice
pudding. At midnight,
firecrackers light up the
sky and dancing fills the
streets. The children
receive special red en-
velopes with good-luck
money inside.
Each year is devoted to
an animal in the Chinese
zodiac. February 5, 2000,
marked the start of the
Year of the Dragon. The
Year of the Dog began in
2006.
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Is this story mostly about
calendars or Chinese
customs?
What animal marked
the year 2000?
Name at least one of
the three things that are
welcomed at the start of
the Chinese New Year.
What kind of pudding
do Chinese families eat
on New Years Eve?
Whats inside the red
envelopes that children
receive?
The Chinese New Year begins
sometime after January 1.
True or false?
CHINESE NEW YEAR
Answers
CHINESE NEW YEAR
Questions
What happens at midnight?
Chinese customs
the dragon
Fireworks light up the sky and
dancing fills the streets.
happiness, wealth, good luck
rice pudding
good-luck money
true
CHINESE NEW YEAR
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Did you make any New
Years resolutions
before this year began?
Does New Years Eve
come before or after
New Years Day?
Which word refers
to people: China or
Chinese?
Is fortune a synonym
of luck or light?
Spell the name of the
month that comes right
after January.
Is the e in red a long
vowel or a short vowel?
Which should be
written as two words:
midnight, newyear,
firecracker?
CHINESE NEW YEAR
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
If so, how many of
your resolutions did
you keep?
before
Chinese
luck
F e b r u a ry (Feb-
ruary)
(Genius Point!)
a short vowel
new year
CHINESE NEW YEAR
Answers
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 52
JONIS COLLECTION
Joni collects stripes. She
has a stuffed tiger on her
bed and pictures of zebras
all over her room. Even her
bedspread is striped!
Anything with stripes
is perfect for Jonis
collection. All of her
socks have stripes on
them, and she wears a
striped ribbon in her hair.
She has a skunk on
her lunch box and
a bumblebee on her
bookbag.
Its easy to find stripes
if youre looking for them.
Candy canes are striped.
So are many circus tents.
And so is the American
flag!
What part of the American
flag would Joni like best?
What does Joni wear in
her hair?
What striped stuffed animal
does Joni have on her bed?
What do Jonis favorite things
have on them?
Find the word for a group of
favorite things: connection,
collection, correction.
Why does Joni have a skunk on
her lunch box?
What popular Christmas
candy has stripes?
JONIS COLLECTION
Answers
JONIS COLLECTION
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
The stripes!
a striped ribbon
a tiger
stripes
collection
because theres a stripe
down the skunks back
candy canes
JONIS COLLECTION
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Help Joni with her
collection. What else
could she collect?
Find the misfit: zebra,
bookbag, bumblebee,
tiger.
Theres a picture of
a zebra on her wall.
Find all the nouns.
Use two of these words
to make one word:
paper, box, ribbon, wall.
Spell the plural of
candy.
Which word has a long i
sound: strip or stripe?
Find the rhyming words:
sneak, skunk, slink, stunk.
JONIS COLLECTION
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Have you started your
own collection?
bookbag (not a striped
animal)
(Genius Point!)
picture, zebra, wall
wallpaper
candies (candies)
stripe
skunk, stunk
JONIS COLLECTION
Answers
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 53
MUSCLE MAGIC
Without muscles, you
couldnt move. In fact, you
couldnt even stand up!
Some muscles support
your skeleton and act only
when you tell them to. These
muscles are attached to your
bones, and they go to work
when you smile, eat, sit, run
or dance.
Special muscles go to
work on their own. For
example, muscles let you
swallow and digest your
food, breathe in and out,
and keep your blood flowing
through your body.
Some muscles work both
ways. Your eye muscles keep
you blinking all day long,
but you can
tell them to let you wink
whenever you
want!
Where are the muscles that
let you wink?
Name two things that special
muscles allow you to do.
What are muscles attached to?
You couldnt stand up without
muscles. True or false?
Do muscles support your skin
or your skeleton?
Name three things that
muscles help you do when
you tell them to.
Do special muscles work
with or without commands
from you?
MUSCLE MAGIC
Answers
MUSCLE MAGIC
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
around your eyes
swallow and digest your food;
breathe in and out; keep
your blood flowing through
your body
bones
true
your skeleton
smile, eat, sit, run, dance
without
MUSCLE MAGIC
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Lift one arm, then touch
your shoulder. Watch the
muscle in your upper
arm. What do you see?
What three-letter words
do you see in wink?
Fix the mistake:
My sister standed up
and walked away.
Find the synonyms:
let, smile, swallow,
allow.
Spell the word that
rhymes with song and
means the opposite of
short.
Which consonant is NOT
pronounced in the word
muscle?
The double o in food
has the same sound as
the double o in blood.
True or false?
MUSCLE MAGIC
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Now lower your arm.
What do you see?
win, ink
My sister stood up
and walked away.
allow, let
long (long)
c
false (Food rhymes with
mood, and blood
rhymes with mud.)
MUSCLE MAGIC
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 54
RIDING THE RANGE
Jacks uncle is a cowhand.
He works on a big ranch in
Texas, and hes teaching Jack
all about his job.
This week theyre riding
the range, which means
they go out on horseback
and make sure the cows
dont wander off. Theres
a lot of land to cover,
so they get up before
dawn and work long
hours. Jacks uncle
carries a rope in case he has
to lasso a stray cow. They
both carry water
in containers
called canteens.
Tonight, theyll sleep
outdoors under the stars.
Jacks uncle is an old-time
cowhand, so he likes to use
his saddle for a pillow!
What does Jacks uncle like
to use for a pillow?
Why does Jacks uncle carry
a rope?
Is the land on a ranch called
the range or the grange?
Jacks uncle works on
a ranch in Montana.
True or false?
Why do cowhands ride horses
instead of walking?
When do Jack and his uncle
get up?
Do cowhands carry water in
cartons or canteens?
RIDING THE RANGE
Answers
RIDING THE RANGE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
his saddle
He might have to lasso
a stray cow.
the range
false (He works on a ranch
in Texas.)
because theres so much land
to cover
before dawn
canteens
RIDING THE RANGE
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Read about the hard
life of the cowhands
who worked in the
Old West.
Does dawn mean
early morning or
early evening?
Put these words in order
to make a sentence:
like, horses, cowhands,
to, ride.
Find a synonym of
wander: stray, carry,
sleep, cover.
Which of these words
means the same as
certain: shore
or sure?
Which word has a long
a sound: ranch or
range?
Is cattle another word
for cows or horses?
RIDING THE RANGE
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
How are todays cow-
hands different? How
are they the same?
early morning
Cowhands like to ride
horses.
stray
sure (sure)
range
cows
RIDING THE RANGE
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 55
THE CONTINENTS
Only one-third of the earth is
covered by landthe rest
is water. The land is divided
into continents, along with
all the islands in the water
around them.
The seven continents are
Antarctica, Australia, Africa,
Asia, Europe, and North and
South America. The largest
conti nent is Asia. More than
half the worlds people live
there!
Only Antarctica and
Australia are completely
surrounded by water.
Antarctica covers
the South Pole and
is the coldest land
on earth. Australia, the
Down Under continent,
is the smallest
of all.
Which continent has the
most people?
All the continents are com-
pletely surrounded by wa-
ter. True or false?
Which continent is
the largest?
Does land cover one-third or
two-thirds of the earth?
How many continents are
there in all?
Which is the Down Under
continent?
Does Antarctica cover the
North Pole or the South Pole?
THE CONTINENTS
Answers
THE CONTINENTS
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Asia
false (Only Antarctica and
Australia are completely sur-
rounded by water.)
Asia
one-third
seven
Australia
the South Pole
THE CONTINENTS
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Find the western
hemisphere on a world
map. Which continents
are in this hemisphere?
Find another word
for under: north,
beneath, above, beside.
Fix the mistake:
Antarctica is the most
cold land on earth.
Which is more: a third or
a fourth?
Spell the number that
follows seven.
Which letter is NOT pro-
nounced in the
word island?
Which continent comes
first in the dictionary:
Asia, Africa or Europe?
THE CONTINENTS
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Now find the eastern
hemisphere and name
the continents located
there.
beneath
Antarctica is the cold-
est land on earth.
a third
eight (eight)
s
Africa
THE CONTINENTS
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
GRADE 2 READ
STORY 56
A FUN POEM
A flea and a fly in a flue
Were imprisoned,
So what could they do?
Said the fly,
Let us flee.
Said the flea,
Let us fly.
So they flew through
a flaw in the flue.
A FUN POEM
Answers
This poem can be called a
play on words. Which words
are being played with?
How did the flea and
the fly escape?
What did the fly say?
Which insect got caught
in a flue: a flea or a fly?
Where would you expect
to find a flue?
What did the flea say?
Which title best fits this
poem: A Flea and a Fly
or Life in a Flue?
A FUN POEM
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Fly is used as both a noun
and a verb. The noun flea
rhymes with the verb flee.
(Genius Point!)
They flew through a flaw
in the flue.
Let us flee.
Both insects got caught.
in a chimney
Let us fly.
A Flea and a Fly
A FUN POEM
Answers
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Pick two animals whose
names begin with the
same letters and write
your own poem or story.
If youre imprisoned, are
you trapped or free?
Which of these is a
complete sentence:
1) Through the flue.
2) Let us fly.
If something isnt
perfect, does it have
a flaw or a fly?
Is a synonym of
escape spelled
flee or flea?
What two letters form the
beginning sound of 10
words in the poem?
Find the plural of flea:
fleece, floss, fleas, flies.
A FUN POEM
Questions
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
4th PASS
GRADE 2 READ
Examples: moose and
mouse (m); crocodile
and cricket (cr).
trapped
2) Let us fly.
a flaw
flee (flee)
fl
fleas
A FUN POEM
Answers
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