k5 Learning Reader Level WX

6
Grade
Reading
Levels W,X
Comprehension
STORIES INCLUDED
The Deep & the Dark
Babushka and the Nomads
Santa’s Fake Son
More Important than an Awning
… and 4 more!
www.k5learning.com
Grade 6 Reading Comprehension
Level W-X Workbook
by K5 Learning
© K5 Learning 2020
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by any information storage and retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the author. Permission is granted to
reproduce this material to be used with one (1) teacher's students by virtue of the
purchase of this book. In other words, one (1) teacher may make copies of these
worksheets to be used with his/her students. Permission is not given to reproduce the
material for resale.
____________________________________________
Please visit store.k5learning.com for more workbooks from K5 Learning.

Level W-X Reader
Table of Contents
Introduction & Tips ............................................................................................................... 1
List of Vocabulary Words .................................................................................................... 3
Stories & Exercises:
Babushka and the Nomads ......................................................................................................... 4
A Day at the Chariot Races ....................................................................................................... 16
Santa’s Fake Son...................................................................................................................... 25
The Surfing Princess ................................................................................................................. 35
More Important Than an Awning ............................................................................................... 43
The Deep and the Dark ............................................................................................................. 54
A Rose by Any Other Name ...................................................................................................... 62
A Dog and a Drone. .................................................................................................................. 72
More from K5 Learning ....................................................................................................... 81
www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020

Level W-X Reader
Introduction & Tips

Welcome to our series of levelled reading workbooks. Each workbook contains a
number of texts. Each text is followed by exercises designed to reinforce literacy skills
including reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling and writing. The books include
both fiction and non-fiction passages and explore a wide range of topics in social
studies, nature, history, science and more.
Our readers are “leveled” from A to Z based on a number of factors related to text
complexity such as vocabulary, average word size and sentence length, amount of
repetitiveness of words and sentence structures and subject matter complexity.
Early reading levels use short simple words and sentences in big fonts in a highly
repetitive manner. Stories relate to subjects young children are familiar with. Each
successive level introduces greater reading challenge.
About K5 Learning
K5 Learning provides thousands of free worksheets and affordable workbooks for
children in kindergarten to grade 5.
We work with award-winning teachers to create materials in support of independent

learning.
Our aim is to help parents help their kids develop their reading, math and study skills.
Visit us at www.k5learning.com.
www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 1

Level W-X Reader
Some tips on using our leveled readers

• Review the vocabulary words on the first page of each story with your student.
Ask your child to read these words and talk about what they mean.
• Ask younger students to read the stories out loud and use their finger to point to
words as they read from left to right. Help them as needed.
• Ask younger students to also read the directions of the exercises out loud.
Remind them to use complete sentences when answering.
• Ask older students to look up words they don’t know in a dictionary.
• Point out punctuation; for example, when there is an exclamation mark ask
them to reread the sentence using more enthusiasm.
• Review your student’s work and guide him or her through any answers that are
not correct.
• Discuss the stories, the characters, the topics, the settings, the pictures –
anything about the text to make it more interesting, relevant or fun.
• Monitor your student’s progress and adjust reading levels as needed.
• Keep the reading fun!
Other books in this series

This book is one of a series of levelled reading workbooks. The levelled reading
approach makes it easy for parents to find appropriate materials for their kids.
The books range from Levels A-C (kindergarten) to Levels X-Z (grade 6).
The books can be purchased and downloaded exclusively from the online bookstore at
K5 Learning store.k5learning.com.
Questions & Feedback

If you have any questions or feedback for us, please contact us at customer-
service@k5learning.com.

Level W-X Reader
List of Vocabulary Words

The following vocabulary words are introduced in this workbook:
biologist brutal chariot charity
communities continental culture documenting
donation dramatically drone elaborate
ethnic fertilizer gossiping groundlings
Hawaii hippodrome hyperactive hysterically
intimidated inventory luxurious migration
muscular mutton nomads organisms
ornate perplexed playwright premiering
propulsion prosperous randomly ravine
recitations regulator remote revelation
rhythm rotor scar scuba
seamstress spectators suspiciously traumatized

Level W-X Reader
ethnic nomads recitations

mutton culture elaborate
Babushka and the Nomads
Dahlia couldn’t believe that she was missing Sarah’s birthday party
for this. Sarah’s parents had rented the entire Splash Harbor
Amusement Park and invited everyone in grade 12. It was going to
be the party of the year, and Dahlia desperately wanted to go .
Instead, she was stranded for the summer in Kyrgyzstan with only her
babushka, Aidana, for company.
Dahlia stared forlornly out of

the window of Aidana’s car,
watching the Kyrgyzstan
countryside roll by. Had she
not been so annoyed, Dahlia
might have appreciated the
sprawling mountains and clear
blue rivers they passed, but
she ignored the scenery
completely.
Pulling out her phone, Dahlia opened the YouTube app. When the
home page failed to load, her eyes flicked to the bars at the top of
her screen. Zero reception. Dahlia groaned, and irritation flared in
the pit of her stomach. Derek Yeon’s latest video was out, but she
couldn’t watch it.

Level W-X Reader
Derek Yeon was Dahlia’s favorite You Tuber. The

23-year-old aspiring journalist travelle d the
world documenting the lives of everyday
people in a series called Interesting Places .
Yeon was very cool, had a wicked sense of
humor and visited weird and beautiful places,
but Dahlia wouldn’t be able to see his latest
video because she was stuck in Kyrgyzstan.
“Stop pouting,” Aidana scolded.
Dahlia turned her gaze to her babushka. The

stern woman was nothing like Dahlia’s Texan
grandma, Rose, who always wore cowboy boots
and a Stetson, was quick with a joke, and smiled easily. “I’m not
pouting,” Dahlia said, sticking out her bottom lip.
“Yes, you are. You’ve been pouting since you stepped off that plane
in Bishkek three days ago,” Aidana sighed. “I know that you don’t
want to be here, but it is important that you know about where you
come from and learn about our culture.”
“I know where I come from,” Dahlia protested. “And we have plenty

of culture back home.”
Aidana eyed Dahlia skeptically. “What do you know about

Kyrgyzstan?”

Level W-X Reader
“I know that it used to be part of the Soviet Union,” Dahlia

answered. “I know that it’s a country in Asia bordered by
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China. I know that for some
crazy reason, Dad wanted me to spend the summer here in the
middle of nowhere when I could have been at Sarah’s birthday
party!” She glanced back down at her phone. Still no service.
Aidana sighed again. “We’re not in the middle of nowhere, Dahlia.

Look out the window.”
Dahlia looked up from her disconnected phone and focused her

attention out the window. The countryside stretched out as far as
Dahlia could see. Mountains rose up on either side of the car. The
road followed a bright blue river which cut through the heart of the
heavily forested valley. Trees, trees and more trees , thought Dahlia.
A short time later, they came upon a village c onstructed of portable

round tents known as yurts. People milled about the tents, some
dressed in traditional ethnic clothing
while others wore t -shirts and jeans.
“What is this?” Dahlia asked.
“This is the World Nomad Games,”

Aidana informed her. “Think of it like the Olympics of Asia, but
instead of running and jumping, it has sports that originated in
Central Asia. The World Nomad Games started in 2014, and they
have taken place every two years since then. It’s a celebration of
the nomadic peoples from Mongolia to Turkey. People from all over
the world come to compete in the events, even Americans.”

Level W-X Reader
Dahlia had never heard of the World Nomad Games. She watched
as two young men in elaborate costumes passed in front of their car
with huge birds, as big as eagles, perched on their arms. A girl her
own age in a long red gown and a very tall hat rode by on a
beautiful white horse, greeting the boys in some strange language
as she passed them.
Aidana smiled at Dahlia’s surprised

expression. “It’s interesting, I
know,” Babushka said. “And it’s not
only sports at the World Nomad
Games. It is also a cultural fe stival.
The hosting country has the
opportunity to share its culture with
visitors. In the yurt village, you can
listen to folk music and recitations of epic poems and legends,
watch traditional dances, and see traditional clothing.”
After they had parked the car, Dahlia followed her babushka into
the yurt village. All around them people were speaking languages
from many countries. Babushka explained that people were
speaking Chinese, Russian, Turkish, Korean, Mongolian, Arabic,
Armenian, French, German, S panish, and other languages, including
English.
The scent of grilled meat filled Dahlia’s nose. Aidana stopped before
a food vendor, buying them each a plateful of kuurdak, stewed
mutton with onions and spices. Dahlia eyed the food suspiciously as
they waited in line. She loved her dad’s homemade kuurdak, but she
wasn’t sure she trusted food sold from a stall.

Level W-X Reader
A voice from behind Dahlia inquired, “Have you had this before?”
“It’s kuurdak.” As she answered, Dahlia turned around and promptly

froze. Standing directly behind her in all his glory was Derek Yeon, a
video camera around his neck. Dahlia’s heart skipped a beat.
“You’re Derek Yeon.”
Derek smiled. “I am. I take it you’re familiar with my work.”
Dahlia was more than simply familiar with his w ork.

She had watched every one of his videos multiple
times. “I am.” It was the understatement of the
century. “I’m Dahlia, and this is Aidana, my
babushka. That means -”
“Grandmother,” Derek finished for her. “My

Russian may be nonexistent, but I do know t hat word.” He went on to
explain he was in Kyrgsztan filming an episode of Interesting Places .
“The countryside is so beautiful here, and the culture is fascinating,”
he enthused.
“Yes, it is so beautiful, and the culture is fantastic, too!” agreed

Dahlia, avoiding her babushka’s skeptical gaze. “I could be your
translator, if you like,” Dahlia offered. “I speak both Kyrgyz and
Russian.”
“You’d really do that?” Derek asked, surprised.
“As long as it’s okay with Aidana.” Dahlia turned to Aidana, who
was watching the exchange with trepidation. “Can I?”

Level W-X Reader
“No,” Aidana said. “I promised your parents I would look after you,
and I am not about to let you go wandering off with this young
man.” Dahlia felt her heart sink. “However, he can join both of us if
he wants a tour guide.”
Holding her breath, Dahlia waited for Derek’s answer. She doubted
a cool YouTube journalist would want to spend his time with her and
her babushka, but Derek immediately nodded. “It sounds like fun. Do
you mind if I film you guys?”
“No,” Dahlia answered for Aidana. “I mean, go right ahead. It’s

totally fine.” Derek powered up his camera and set about filming as
Dahlia and Aidana ate their lunch. He mostly interviewed Aidana
about local life; Dahlia slid a little closer to her grandmother.
“Let’s go check out some of the games,” Aidana suggested

as she finished her lunch and disposed of their trash.
They followed the crowd out of the yurt village to the

edge of camp, where an archery range was set up.
Instead of the round targets that Dahlia was used to
seeing in American movies, the targets were pear -
shaped, bigger on the bottom than they were on the top.
“Because there are so many different countries participating in the

World Nomad Games, there are five different types of archery,”
Aidana explained to Dahlia and Derek. “This is traditional Kyrgyz
archery. There are four women and four men on each team. They
are required to wear traditional dress when competing and are only
allowed to use wooden bows and arrows.”

Level W-X Reader
With Derek beside her, it w as easy to get swept up in the games. A

woman pulled back a curved bow with the fluidity of an expert, shot
an arrow at the target, and cheered as it hit home. Excitement
bubbled in Dahlia’s chest. She couldn’t wait to watch this episode of
Interesting Places.
They spent the afternoon moving from event to event, with Dahlia
helping Derek interview various people. Then, one of the local
archers, a 20-year-old Kyrg named Umar, took them for a drive
through the countryside. Dahlia filled her camera with shots of
stunning landscapes while Derek filmed.
When they returned, Umar invited them all to a “Nomad party” that
was happening that night.
“What’s a Nomad party?” Derek asked.
“A big group of us get together and wander around all night, sort of
like nomads,” laughed Umar. “We bring food and drink and sing
songs and just keep walking. It’s a lot of fun.”
“I’m in!” replied Derek.
“Me, too!” exclaimed

Dahlia.

Level W-X Reader
“No chance!” said Aidana, taking Dahlia’s hand. “We are not
nomads! We have a house and we’re going home.” She gave Derek
and Umar big hugs, wished the boys well and marched Dahlia back
to their car.
As for Dahlia, she had long forgotten about her friend’s birthday
party. She marveled at the countryside on the drive home and
looked forward to meeti ng more Kyrgyz and learning more about
their culture. Maybe she would make some videos of her own.

Level W-X Reader
Babushka and the Nomads (exercises)
1. Multiple Choice
What event is Dahlia missing to go to the World Nomad

Games?
a. her dad’s retirement

b. Sarah’s birthday party
c. the 4th of July
d. her archery club’s annual competition
Babushka is the Russian word for what?
a. grandmother
b. sister
c. fox
d. principal
What is the name of Derek Yeon’s video series?
a. Fascinating Individuals
b. Interesting Places
c. Beautiful Humans
d. Boring Folk

Level W-X Reader
What year did the first World Nomad Games take place?
a. 2004
b. 2016
c. 2014
d. 1904
What sport do Dahlia and Aidana watch?
a. horseback archery
b. traditional Korean archery
c. traditional Kyrgyz archery
d. soccer
2. Which of the following countries border the Kyrg yz Republic

(also known as Kyrgyzstan)?
a. Kazakhstan
b. Turkey
c. Mexico
d. Uzbekistan
e. Alaska
f. Tajikistan
g. Disneyland
h. China
i. Japan
j. Canada

Level W-X Reader
3. Dahlia’s attitude toward the Kyrgyzstan countryside and culture

changed from the start of the story to the end of the story.
A. How did it change?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
B. Why do you think it changed?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
C. What important lesson did Dahlia learn from Derek?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Level W-X Reader
Babushka and the Nomads (answers)
1. Multiple Choice
b. Sarah’s birthday party

a. grandmother
b. Interesting Places
c. 2014
c. traditional Kyrgyz archery
2. Which of the following countries border the Kyrg yz Republic

(also known as Kyrgyzstan)?
a. Kazakhstan
b. Turkey
c. Mexico
d. Uzbekistan
e. Alaska
f. Tajikistan
g. Disneyland
h. China
i. Japan
j. Canada
3. Dahlia’s attitude toward the Kyrgyzstan countryside and culture

changed from the star t of the story to the end of the story.
Answers may vary .

Level W-X Reader
hippodrome muscular brutal

spectators chariot scar
A Day at the Chariot Races
Alec gazed up at the hippodrome, taking a gulp of air before

rushing to catch up to his father. They entered with the rest of the
crowd, and Alec looked at the long, narrow chariot -racing field with
posts at either end for the horses to turn around. Alec couldn’t help
but feel a bit nervous. He had heard so many stories about the
chariot races, but this w as the first time he was actually going to see
them.
There were thousands of people from all over Greece visiting

Olympia that week. They were in Olympia as part of a festival
honoring Zeus, the most important Greek god. And it
seemed like every one of them was crowding into the
hippodrome to see the race.
Alec’s father guided him until they reached

a spot with a good view of the track.
People crammed themselves into spots
next to Alec, and he felt the sweaty
arms of those standing behind him.
Everyone was excited and jostling for
the best view possible.

Level W-X Reader
A few minutes before the race was to begin, a tall man shoved his
way through the crowd of spectators until he was standing directly
in front of Alec, blocking his view. Alec tried to shift to the sid e to
see better, but it was no use. His father grabbed Alec’s arm and
pulled him back through the packed crowd. Immediately, people
filled in the empty hole that Alec and
his father left open.
“We’re finding another place to

watch,” Alec’s father yelled, guiding
Alec into a side alley of the
hippodrome. “I know a shortcut to
the other side. If we’re fast enough,
we should be able to get there
before the rest of the crowd does.”
Alec followed his father through the narrow hallway. The cheering of
the crowd became muffled by the walls, but Alec noticed a
different sound, a clanging of metals and gruff male voices. It was
coming from a curtained -off area beside them. Alec gently gripped
the curtain, peeling it aside to peek behind it.
Ten muscular men were q uietly getting dressed, sharpening blades

and preparing their equipment. The men looked very serious and
said little to each other. The atmosphere was extremely tense. Alec
recognized one man from drawings he had seen on the walls in
Olympia; the man was a famous chariot racer.
“Father, are they the drivers?” Alec asked, connecting the dots in his
head. His father nodded. “Why do they look so sullen?”

Level W-X Reader
“Because most do not want to be racing today. Many of them are

slaves who are forced to be here by their owners,” his father calmly
explained. “If they win the race today, it’s their owners who receive
the award and build their reputation in Olympia.”
One man, sitting a few feet away from them, was honing his
knife. The man was about the same age as Alec’s father. He
had a kind face, but a huge scar on his forearm. A young
boy brought him his boots, addressed him as father, hugged
him and then ran away. The chariot driver looked up and
met Alec’s gaze for a moment before silently turning back
to his knife and continuing his honing.
Alec’s father explained that the drivers were tied to the

chariot with a rope to help them keep their balance, and
they needed a sharp knife to cut the rope if they fell out
of the chariot. Otherwise, they would be dragged by the
horse and could be severely injured.
As his father spoke, Alec watched as one of the men accidentally

bumped into another. The slave turned around and shoved the first
man, and a brawl broke out between them before they could be
separated. Others looke d on with guarded eyes and tense mouths
as they continued to prepare themselves for the races.
“In truth, Alec, these men will be in great danger; chariot races can
be quite brutal,” Alec’s father said, gently pulling Alec away from
the curtain.

Level W-X Reader
Alec and his father re-entered the hippodrome and made it to the
railing at the edge of the arena. Once again, Alec was surrounded
by sweaty bodies, and he could barely hear a word his father said
over the clapping, cheering, and yelling of the people around him.
A herald stepped onto the balcony, and the crowd grew quieter.
The herald began to announce all of the owners of the chariots and
the drivers who would be competing that day for a chance
to win one hundred ceramic pots of olive oil.
“Wow, that’s ten mor e pots than last year’s prize,” Alec
heard his father say to a man standing next to them.
As the herald made his announcements, the cheering

of the audience increased exponentially. Alec listened as
the spectators around him shouted. Some threw things at the racers,
yelling vulgar things at those who they hoped would lose.
The racing chariots were modified war chariots, heavy wooden carts
with two wheels and an open back. Alec watched as the men each
tied a rope from the chariot he was driving to his own leg.
The starting gate was lowered, and the crowd fell eerily silent. Alec
noticed he was holding his breath in anticipation, and he released it
slowly. The gates suddenly lifted, and the chariots lunged forward.
Ten chariots burst by to the deafening roa r of the crowd, sending
dust flumes into the air. The drivers were about to reach their first
turn when Alec felt his father lean into him, shouting into his ear,
“Keep a close eye on these turns, son! The turns are the most
dangerous parts!”

Level W-X Reader
Sure enough, as the chariots turned the sharp corner, the last one
flipped onto its side, sending the driver flying out of the chariot and
onto the ground. Alec watched in horror through the dust as the
driver was dragged behind the chariot. He struggled to reach the
rope as the horse dragged him around the arena. Somehow the man
managed to cut the rope and free himself just as the horse reached
the next turn and whipped the chariot around the bend. The man
rolled around a few times in the dust, eventually standing up and
limping to the side of the arena to a mixture of boos and cheers
from the crowd around him.
“That happens a lot,” Alec’s dad

shouted. “Many chariots flip or crash
into each other because the turns
are so sharp. And not every driver is
as lucky as that man.” Just as he said
that, there was a terrible crash, and
two chariots collided in a tangle of
horses, people and wood.
Soon, the drivers were on their final lap. Alec watched closely as the
drivers pushed their horses and jockeyed for position. Some dr ivers
attempted to force others to lose control of their chariots, but most
focused on forcing the horses to run as fast as they could.
Finally, the chariot owned by a well -known local merchant, famous

for his imported pots, won the race, and the smiling businessman
beamed as he walked to the winner’s circle and was applauded by
the crowd.

Level W-X Reader
However, Alec’s attention was on one of the men involved in the

accident. He had been injured and was being carried off the field.
The crowd paid him no attention. Alec recognized him as the man
whose little boy had given him a hug before the race.
As they waited for the next race to begin, Alec quietly said a prayer
to Zeus for the injured slave, feeling a strange mixture of both horror
and excitement.

Level W-X Reader
A Day at the Chariot Races (exercises)
1. Fill in the blanks using words and information from the story.
The Games are held in the city of _______________________ to honor

_______________________.
The chariot races are held at an arena called the

_______________________.
The prize for the winner of this chariot race is

________________________________________.
2. Short Answer
What is the herald’s role during the chariot races?
____________________________________________________________________________
Before the race begins, what does Alec see behind the curtain?
____________________________________________________________________________
Why do the chariot riders carry a kn ife with them?
____________________________________________________________________________

Level W-X Reader
3. Multiple Choice
Which of the following is true about chariot races?
a. Chariot racing is done in complete silence.

b. The chariots are often modified war chariots.
c. Drivers never get injured in chariot racing.
Why do the chariot drivers have a rope tied around one of their
feet?
a. The rope helps them keep in line with fashion trends.

b. The rope helps the herald recognize which chariot
belongs to which driver .
c. The rope keeps them balanced and more secure in the
chariot.
Before the race begins, Alec learns that most of the chariot
drivers are what?
a. slaves
b. merchants
c. farmers
4. Alec thought chariot racing was both exciting and brutal.

Would you like to watch a chariot race? Why or why not?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Level W-X Reader
A Day at the Chariot Races (answers)
1. Fill in the blanks using words and information from the story.
The Games are held in the city of Olympia to honor Zeus.
The chariot races are held at an arena called the hippodrome.
The prize for the winner of this chariot race is one hundred
ceramic pots of olive oil .
2. Short Answer
What is the herald’s role during the chariot races?
To make announcements about the race.
Before the race begins, what does Alec see behind the curtain?
The drivers of the chariot race preparing for the race .
Why do the chariot riders carry a knife with them?
To be able to cut the rope if they fell out of the chariot.
3. Multiple Choi ce
b. The chariots are often modified war chariots.

c. The rope keeps them balanced and more secure in the
chariot.
a. slaves
4. Answers may vary.

Level W-X Reader
randomly suspiciously perplexed

revelation hyperactive gossiping
Santa’s Fake Son
“Santa?”
Eddie, a shy yet hyperactive six -year-old, walked downstairs from his
bedroom and saw Santa Claus standing in the kitchen. Eddie’s jaw
practically dropped to the floor and his eyes widened like those of a
cartoon character. “Why are you here so early?” he asked.
“Christmas isn’t coming for 23 more days!”
The man dressed as Santa laughed. His laugh sounded suspiciously

like Eddie’s dad. Eddie tilted his head, staring in confusion, so
Eddie’s dad pulled off his fake beard and revealed that he
was indeed the dude dressed as Santa. Eddie, quivering
with excitement and a hint of confused fear, blurted out,
“Dad, are you Santa for real?”
Dad chuckled and said no. He explained to

Eddie that he was a mall Santa. “When children
like you go to the mall to sit on San ta’s lap, it’s not
the real Santa. The real Santa is too busy to go to the
mall, so every December he hires people
like me to dress up like him, talk to
children and find out what they want for
Christmas.”

Level W-X Reader
Eddie nodded, but he was still

a little confused. Dad, still
wearing his Santa outfit,
dropped Eddie off at school on
his way to the mall. Eddie
thought it was pretty cool
driving with Santa Claus, even
if it was in a car, and there
were no reindeer pulling them
along.
Cindy and Candace, two grade 3 stud ents, happened to be

standing across the street when Eddie and his dad pulled up in the
car. The girls didn’t know Eddie, but they definitely recognized the
driver of the car. They stared at each other in disbelief and ran off
to tell their friends. The gi rls’ gossiping set off a chain reaction of
events that soon led to Eddie becoming the most popular kid at
Whittier Elementary.
Throughout the day, the rumor of Eddie being Santa’s son spread
like wildfire through the hallways of Whittier Elementary. Every one
was starstruck, and people started treating Eddie like a celebrity,
staring at him and even offering to carry his books for him. They
competed to become Eddie’s new best friend. Eddie had no idea
why everyone was suddenly being so kind to him, but he d idn’t
mind.

Level W-X Reader
During gym class, the day went from weird to weirder. Eddie wasn’t
a very good athlete and was usually picked last for the kickball
team. But that day, Kevin, a captain of one of the teams, excitedly
announced, “We pick Eddie!” as his first-round pick. Naturally, Eddie
felt like a superstar as he strutted up next to Kevin like a first -round
pick in the NFL draft. Joey, the captain of the other team, sighed
angrily and stomped his feet in frustration, saying that he wanted
the Claus kid on his team. Eddie continued to feel confused, but
happy, too.
Later that day, during an especially chilly recess, Eddie walked

around with Jon, his best friend. Eddie told him of his bewilderment
about randomly becoming the king of the school in a matter of
hours. It was all so strange!
Jon walked silently beside him, listening carefully and looking

thoughtful. Finally, he stopped walking. “Eddie, can I ask you
something? Is your father really Santa Claus? Because usually when I
see him, he doesn’t look a bit like Santa Claus.”
Eddie didn’t reply .
“Everyone in the school is saying your dad is Santa Claus; about 10

people said they saw Santa Claus drop you off at the school this
morning. Some people say it was in a car, some people say it was in
a sleigh, and some people say there were elves in the back seat.
People are saying all sorts of things, but everyone
thinks your dad is Santa Claus. Or at least they’re
pretending to think
that.”

Level W-X Reader
Just then the bell rang, and a perplexed Jon turned and
ran to the school building before Eddie could re spond.
Everything finally started to make sense to Eddie. His

mind began racing at the speed of a cheetah on the
hunt. What should he do? He knew he should do the right
thing and disclose the truth about the Santa rumor, but he loved his
newfound popularity. Eddie was a shy kid who had trouble making
friends. Now everyone was lining up to play with him. He wanted to
be honest, but he didn’t want to give up his new collection of fans.
As Eddie walked to class, he de cided he had to tell the truth;

however, when he got to his desk there was a chocolate bar on it
with a note. It was from Susan, the most popular girl in the whole
school, who had written: “Thanks for being such a good friend.”
Susan had never even talked to Eddie before! As Eddie read the
note, three different kids walked by with a bright and cheerful, “Hi,
Eddie.” Usually everyone just ignored him.
So, Eddie selfishly decided not to say anything about the Santa
rumor. He felt guilty about it, and he knew it was the wrong thing to
do, but he just couldn't bring himself to tell the truth. He loved being
popular and famous. He loved being treated like royalty. And he
loved being picked first for Kevin’s kickball team, even though he
was the main reason for t heir record-breaking loss of 47-0.
Eddie tried to ignore the guilt and bury it deep down, but when a lie
is allowed to fester, it grows bigger and bigger. This snowball of a lie
was about to turn into an avalanche that would collapse on his
world.

Level W-X Reader
Later that day, kids started bringing their Christmas lists to Eddie.
Kevin aggressively handed Eddie his wish list and said to put in a
good word for him about the latest Playstation. Even some older kids
posted lists on his locker. Some of the lists went on for pages! All this
attention was flattering, but Eddie began to worry. What was going
to happen on Christmas Day when those kids didn’t get all the
presents they seemed to be expecting?
Before the end of day, some kids started

acting jealous of Eddie. They assumed
his house was full of millions of toys.
Three boys he’d never met before came
up to him and asked him, in a mean
way, if his uncle was the Easter Bunny.
It only got worse as the week progressed. Kids would walk up to

Eddie, offer him gifts and ask him to play with them . Then, always a
little bit later, they’d remind Eddie what their name was, where they
lived, and ask him to tell his dad how good they’d been all year. In
the meantime, Eddie had not spoken to Jon in days.
On Thursday night, the doorb ell rang at Eddie’s house. Eddie

answered the door, and it was a group of classmates asking if they
could meet his dad and make sure they were on his nice list. They
also wanted autographs and selfies.
Eddie politely told them that his dad was too busy to come to the
door, and the disappointed mob of kids soon left. Eddie slammed
the door shut; even fake fame was exhausting.

Level W-X Reader
In bed that night, Eddie realized that the Santa rumor had gotten
completely out of hand. He had no idea what to do. He wanted to
tell everyone the truth, but he was afraid it was too late. He was in
too deep.
As fate would have it, the next morning Eddie missed the bus, and
his dad gave him a ride to school. When Eddie’s dad dropped him
off, Kevin saw him and noticed that he looked not hing like Santa.
When he heard Eddie say, “Thanks for the ride, Dad,” Kevin realized
that Eddie was a liar.
Kevin sprinted to the classroom and urgently announced his

discovery to the whole class. “Eddie’s dad is NOT Santa!” he
shouted. Everyone gasped an d began chattering loudly. This was a
bombshell revelation! When Eddie walked into class, everyone
began bombarding him
with angry questions.
“Why did you lie to us?”
“What did you and your

dad do with the real
Santa?”
Eddie broke down and confessed that t he rumors were false. He

admitted that he loved all the positive attention and that he had
always wanted more friends but was too shy to talk to people. He
said he wanted to correct the lie but didn’t know how to do it.

Level W-X Reader
In return, Eddie received glares an d more than a few nasty

comments. All the gifts people had given him soon disappeared
from his desk. He was again the talk of the school, but this time in a
negative way.
However, by the following Monday, everyone’s attention had turned

to a girl in grade 5 who had come to school with purple hair, and
two grade 5 boys who got caught trying to leave a stink bomb
outside the girls’ change room. Nobody was thinking about Eddie
anymore. That day, Eddie got picked last for the kickball team.
Susan ignored him like she always had. Nobody pinned any notes to
his locker; no strangers asked him to play.
At lunchtime, Eddie hung out with Jon, and they talked about the
usual things. Nobody ment ioned Santa Claus or presents. No one
paid any attention to either one of them. It was perfect.

Level W-X Reader
Santa’s Fake Son (exercises)
1. Multiple Choice
Who picked Eddie for their kickball team?
a. Jon
b. Emma
c. Kevin
d. Joey
What school did Eddie go to?
a. Lincoln Elementary
b. Whittier Elementary
c. Madison Elementary
d. Harvard University
What was the date when Eddie discovered that his dad was a
mall Santa?
a. December 2nd
b. December 11th
c. December 24th
d. December 15th
What video game console did Kevin have on his wish list?
a. Xbox Series X/S

b. PS5
c. Wii U
d. Nintendo Switch

Level W-X Reader
2. Short Answer
Why was Eddie worried about what might happen after

Christmas when the kids opened their presents?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Eddie did not exactly tell anyone that his dad was Santa Claus.
Did Eddie lie?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
In the story, it says “…when a lie is allowed to fester, it grows

bigger and bigger.” What does that mean?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. Would you like to be famous? Why or why not?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Level W-X Reader
Santa’s Fake Son (answers)
1. Multiple Choice
c. Kevin
b. Whittier Elementary
a. December 2nd
b. PS5
2. Short Answer
Why was Eddie worried about what might happen after

Christmas when the kids opened their presents?
Eddie was worried that the kids might be upset with him if they
didn’t get all the presents they asked for.
Eddie did not exactly tell anyone th at his dad was Santa Claus.
Did Eddie lie?
Eddie acted like his dad was Santa Claus by accepting the
presents and Christmas lists . Not telling the kids the truth is very
similar to lying.
In the story, it says “…when a lie is allowed to fester, it grows

bigger and bigger.” What does that mean?
The longer a lie goes on, the harder it will be to tell the truth .

Level W-X Reader
Hawaii luxurious prosperous

ornate rhythm continental
The Surfing Princess
Long before Hawaii became the 50th state of America, it was a

prosperous island nation . The islands were so rich in food and natural
resources that native Hawaiians used to take a three -month holiday,
called Makahiki, during the winter, to rest, relax and worship. They
knew the importance of slowing down and enjoying life after
working hard. A favorite activity among the Hawaiians during
Makahiki was to surf.
Surfing is a challenging sport that requires agility,

grace, stamina, and a deep understanding of the
sea. A surfer must paddle out using only arm
strength to propel themselves forward towards
the breakers. They must feel the rhythm of the
ocean and know just when to catch a wave.
The power of a big wave is incredible, and the
surfer must know how to m ove with the surf.
Only then can they accompany a wave on its
journey towards the shore.

Level W-X Reader
It seems that almost everyone in Hawaii loved to surf, even royalty.

In the late 1800s, Princess Ka’iulani, the next in line to the throne,
was very good at it. She was strong, graceful, and understood the
sea. Ka’iulani rode an Olo, a very long and exceptionally heavy
surfboard of about six meters in length. This type of surfboard was
made with luxurious koa wood or the bark from the wiliwili tree. The
Olo boards were reserved for royalty, and it took a lot of skill, power,
and strength to navigate the waves with this heavy board. Yet
Princess Ka’iulani, rode with ease and grace.
On a crisp December day in long -ago Waikiki, Princess Ka’iulani, was

preparing to leave for England. She was next in line to the Hawaiian
throne and must prepare accordingly. The Princess would go to
England to be educated in a manner befitting royalty.
She packed her multiple trunks full of books, gowns, pressed flowers
from her garden, an d a peacock feather
tucked inside her diary. She would miss
her island home, the gentle breezes
and the sunshine. She would miss
her beloved peacocks that roamed
around her family’s estate, but,
most of all, she would miss surfing.
In the late 1800s, travelling from

Hawaii to England was an arduous and
perilous journey. The steamship from Hawaii to San Francisco would
take several weeks. The Princess would then have to travel across
the continental U.S. for weeks by train until she reached New York,
where she would board another steamship bound for England.

Level W-X Reader
As Princess Ka’iulani got ready to embark on her journey, she made

a last-minute addition to her luggage. She decided to bring her Olo
with her. The Olo gave her a bit of comfort on her journey, a piece
of home she could carry with her.
Five months later, Princess Ka’iulani arrived in England. Even though

they were both island nations, England and Hawaii were very
different. Even in spring, England was cold and damp. The sun rarely
appeared, and when it did, Ka’iulani was still very cold. She wore
coats on top of her long -sleeve Victorian gowns to stay warm.
Seasons in England and Hawaii were also very different. England

had winter, spring, summer and autumn. Hawaii’s seasons were
called: rainy, dry, mango, Kona wind and swell.
England was crowded and noisy.

People were living in big cities full of
factories, and everyone seemed to be
in a hurry. The air was f illed with smog
from the factories; the streets were full
of horse-drawn carriages and people
rushing about. Even at night, people did
not seem to relax and instead went
about their business with gas lam ps
lighting the streets. There was no
peaceful, months -long Makahiki
vacation in England.

Level W-X Reader
At that time, the British Empire still spanned much of the globe.
England’s art, architecture and industry were developed far beyond
Hawaii’s. Princess Ka’iulani was eager to learn all she could. She
studied Latin, literature, mathematics, art and history. Ka’iulani spent
her days in grand buildings with ornate furniture and thousands of
books. She studied with private tutors , met famous writers and dined
with English royalty. Princess Ka’iulani was only a teenager, but she
would ascend to the throne in a few years, and she wanted to be
prepared.
Though Ka’iulani was fascinated by all that she saw and learned in
England, she missed the connection she had to nature in Hawaii,
especially the feeling of powerful ocean waves pushing her towards
shore.
One warmish day in August, the Princess awoke early. She was
restless. She sat down at her diminutive writing desk strewn with ink
bottles, quills, and one jewel -encrusted perfume bottle. She opened
her diary and came to the page with her peacock feather. She held
it up so that the morn ing light caught the tip of the feather.
Entranced by the iridescent purples, blues, and greens, she thought
of home, how she used to surf almost every morning before going
home to feed her peacocks.

Level W-X Reader
The Princess placed the feather down and looked about her room. It
dawned on her that the one item she had never unpacked was her
Olo. It sat in the corner of her tall closet wrapped in deep purple
fabric. She grabbed her surfboard and unwrapped it on her bed. The
dark koa wood was smooth under her fingers. She lay on top of her
board and felt the rocking of the sea. She was determined to surf
again.
Well, England is an island. There must be someplace to surf , she

thought to herself. She asked one of her English advisors and was
told that there was no such t hing as surfing in England. She was also
told that surfing certainly did not sound like something that a proper
English lady should be doing!
However, the Princess did not give up, and three days later, she
made her way from London to Brighton, a city on the English
Channel, a waterway between England and France known for its
strong currents.
Eager to be in the water again,

Ka’iulaini took her Olo and headed
towards the beach. Seeing the sea,
listening to the waves and smelling
the salt in the air made t he Princess
feel more at home than she had in
months. Local people stared at her
and her surfboard, not knowing who
she was or what she was going to
do. Some warned her against going
into the water.

Level W-X Reader
“It’s too dangerous!”
“Are you mad?”
She took her Olo and paddled out into the channel, with the crowd
of onlookers growing by the minute. The water was chilly, even in
August, but she was too excited to care. Princess Ka’iulani sat on her
board, feeling the water against her calves, the sun peeking through
the clouds. She took a deep breath and looked at the grey -blue
sea, watching the rhythmic motion of the ocean. She began to
paddle again, faster and faster, until she caught a wave. She stood
upand felt the power of the sea propelling her forward. She
maneuvered her Olo with grace, muscle memory still intact. She
laughed as she headed back towards the shore, forgetting about
her homesickness.
When she landed on the beach, her

smile was as big as her Olo. The crowd
cheered, amazed at what they had
seen, and Ka’iulani became the talk of
Brighton.
The Princess never did become the

Queen of Hawaii, as the island nation
was annexed by the United States in
1898. However, even today, a statue of
the Princess stands on the beach in
Waikiki, forever connecting the
Princess to her people as a symbol of
Hawaiian culture and independence.

Level W-X Reader
The Surfing Princess (exercises)
1. Short Answer
What type of animal roamed around Ka’iulani’s family estate?
________________________________________________________________________
What was the Hawaiian season of rest called?
________________________________________________________________________
What were the seasons in Hawaii at the time of the story?
________________________________________________________________________
Why did Princess Ka’iulani go to England?
________________________________________________________________________
2. Compare and contrast life in England and Hawaii in the 1890s.

How were they the same? How were they different?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. If you had lived in the 1890s, where would you rather live,
England or Hawaii? Explain why.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Level W-X Reader
The Surfing Princess (answers)
1. Short Answer
What type of animal roamed around Ka’iulani’s family estat e?
Peacocks.
What was the Hawaiian season of rest called?
Makahiki.
What were the seasons in Hawaii at the time of the story?
Hawaii has rainy season, dry season, mango season, Kona wind
season, and swell season.
Why did Princess Ka’iulani go to England?
She went to England to receive an education to prepare her to

be the leader of her people.
2. Compare and contrast life in England and Hawaii in the 1890s.

How were they the same? How were they different?
Answers may vary.
3. If you had lived in the 1890s, where would you rather live,
England or Hawaii? Explain why.
Answers may vary.

Level W-X Reader
donation communities charity

inventory seamstress fertilizer
More Important Than an Awning
“Why are we still donating 10% of every sale to the hospital? I

thought we ended that last month,” Gianni muttered under his
breath as he counted the cash in the register at the end of the day.
As the money piled up in the “donation” stack, he couldn’t

understand what his parents were thinking. There were parts of the
bakery that really needed improvements . The awning that covered
the customer tables outside, for example, was sun -bleached and
old-looking. If they got a new one, an eye -catching one, maybe
they could attract more customers. Gianni understood that it was
nice to donate, but did they have to do it every month?
“Do you remember how much the hospital helped

grandpa when he needed surgery? Donating
money to the hospital helps make sure other
people can get the same great care he did,”
his mom explained.
Gianni responded, “Okay, Mom,” but in the back of his mind, he

didn’t really agree. The hospital had tons of money and plenty of
much wealthier people who donated regularly. Some people
donated tens of thousands of dollars! The few hundred dollars his
family gave every month couldn’t make that much of a difference.

Level W-X Reader
Gianni finished counting the cash and placed it in the safe for the
last time. He’d been working in the bakery all summer, but today
was his last day as school was starting again in a week. He’d saved
over a thousand dollars, and he was planning to buy a new game
console as well as the latest episode of “Green Ghosts Gone Wild” ,
the video game that was taking the country by storm.
That night, Gianni’s father gave him his last paycheck. It came with
a reminder. “Do you remember what we agreed at the start of the
summer?” his father asked. “That you would donate 10% of your
earnings to a charity of your choice. It’s that time.”
Gianni groaned. “What places would you like to donate to?” his
mom asked.
Gianni shrugged. “I don’t know.” He paused and let out an even

longer sigh. He really didn’t want to give away the money he had
earned, but he knew it was useless to argue with his parents about
it. They were obsessed with helping people and stuff like that. He
admired them for it, but he had important stuff to buy as well.
Gianni decided to get the

donation over with. He scrolled
through donation drives in their
community, but most of them
were like the hospital. They
needed tons of money, and
they seemed like good causes,
but he figured his hundred
dollars wouldn't change much.

Level W-X Reader
Then he stumbled across MFO, a microfinance organization. He’d

never heard the word microfinance before, and it made him curious.
He spent the next hour diving deeper into the site and found story
after story about people around the world who received small loans
to help improve their lives and their communities.
He was fascinated by how it worked. People, mostly in rich countries,

would send money to MFO. MFO would in turn make tiny loans,
sometimes as small as $50, to very poor people who needed the
cash to start or grow their small businesses. When the borrowe r paid
the money back, the original donor could direct MFO to lend it to
someone else. So, the money would just keep cycling around to
people who needed it.
Gianni couldn’t believe how so little could

do so much! A farmer in Honduras had
borrowed $100 to buy seeds and fertilizer
for his small plot of land. By summer, he
had repaid MFO the full amount from his
tomato sales, with enough money left
over for next season’s planting. He even
hired two people to help him.
Another woman in India had a smal l grocery store, the only one in
her village, but she had no money to buy inventory, so her shelves
were bare. Villagers had to travel to the next town, 30 miles away
for basic goods. MFO loaned her money to buy stockpiles of food,
and all the villagers we re delighted. The loan was repaid quickly,
and the lady had since expanded her store and hired another lady
to help her.

Level W-X Reader
Gianni kept scrolling until he found the section with loan requests
that hadn’t yet been funded. The very first project on the list ha d a
photo of a woman with two small, smiling children next to her. She
lived in Ethiopia and was requesting $100 for a new sewing machine,
so she could continue to work as a seamstress to support her family.
She ran her shop by herself and without a workin g
machine, she couldn’t afford to
send her children to school. She
tried to fix her old machine on her
own but finding parts for it was
impossible in the remote village
where they lived. For now, she was
sewing by hand, but the process
was too slow.
Gianni was shocked by how different her shop looked compared to

his family’s bakery. Every wall was draped in colorful fabrics, but the
walls themselves looked old and Gianni saw light poking through a
hole in the wall. The floor was made of packed down dirt. Th e way
she posed proudly in front of it, though, reminded Gianni of the way
his parents looked in the photo taken on the day they opened the
bakery.
Gianni thought about the $1,000 he had saved. All this woman
needed to help her family and continue to make clothes for her
village was $100 and, because it was a micro -financing loan, Gianni
could get that money back later. He kept looking at her smiling
face, and he could feel how much her shop meant to her and her
family. Gianni decided that Green Ghosts Gone Wild could wait. He
clicked the Donate Now button.

Level W-X Reader
A few months crawled by. Gianni was busy with school, and helping
out at the bakery on weekends. His parents continued to donate to
the hospital. Gianni continued to express his dismay at the state of
their sun-bleached awning.
One day, Gianni received an email from MFO. Gianni read through
the message and smiled. His $100 had just been repaid. The woman
he loaned it to had replaced her sewing machine with a much
newer and faster model. She could now pr oduce three times the
number of dresses she had been able to make with her old machine.
People were coming from other villages to buy her clothes, and she
had even hired another seamstress to help her; her business was
booming!
There was a new picture at t he bottom of the

message showing two women beaming at the
camera and posing proudly in the shop, surrounded
by brightly colored dresses they had made. In front
of them were the lady’s two children in their
immaculate school uniforms. The hole in the wall
that Gianni had spotted previously had been fixed.
“My money did all this?” Gianni was astonished. The email from MFO
was prompting him to relend the $100 to another person in need of
a loan. Gianni scrolled through the current loan requests. There was
a woman in Senegal who wanted to expand her daycare business, a
lady in Guatemala who needed money to help her tiny coffee
plantation expand, a carpenter in Nigeria who needed a loan to
buy new tools, and so many more. Gianni felt overwhelmed.
Everyone could u se his help and all these projects were important.

Level W-X Reader
Gianni re-lent his original $100 to the lady in Senegal, but he wanted
to help the lady in Guatemala as well. Since he had made $500
working weekends since school had started, he loaned another $50
to her. He decided that from now on, he would continue to loan 10%
of his wages, just like his parents donate 10% of their sales .
That Saturday, Gianni was back working at the bakery, cleaning the
patio tables. He looked up at the awning. Somehow, the sun -
bleached vinyl didn’t look so bad anymore.

Level W-X Reader
More Important Than an Awning (exercises)
1. Vocabulary
Using context clues, determine the meaning of each

underlined word or phrase.
If they got a new one, an eye-catching colorful one, maybe

they could attract more customers.
In this context, “eye-catching” means:
a. worn out
b. easily noticeable
c. expensive
d. unimpressive
Gianni responded, “Okay, Mom,” but in the back of his mind ,

he didn’t really agree.
In this context, “in the back of his mind” means:
a. a memory he has forgotten

b. a thought that helps support what he is talking about with
his family
c. a thought that is different from the one he is talking about
d. a sign hanging up in the back of his brain

Level W-X Reader
Then he stumbled across MFO, a microfinance organization .
In this context, “microfinance organization” means:
a. an organization that loans small amount of money to

people around the world
b. an organization that allows people to receive credit cards
c. an organization that makes money smaller
d. an organization that loans large amounts of money to big
companies
People were coming from other villages to buy her clothes, and
she even hired another seamstress to help her; her business was
booming!
In this context, “booming” means:
a. exploding
b. slowly shrinking
c. rapidly growing
d. yelling
2. Determine the theme of the story and the events that support
the theme.
A. In what ways does Gianni’s opinion about donating

change from the beginning of the story to the end of the
story?
At the beginning of the story, Gianni ________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Level W-X Reader
But by the end of the story, he _______________________________
__________________________________________________________________
B. What event in the story changed Gianni’s opinion the

most?
a. when Gianni’s grandpa went to the hospital
b. when his mom explains why they donate every

month
c. when Gianni looks at projects on the microfinancing

website
d. when Gianni gets the email and learns about how

his donation helped the woman and her family
C. What is the strongest evidence that Gianni’s attitude

towards making donations has chan ged?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Level W-X Reader
3. Charities
There are many, many good c auses to which people can

donate money or time. What is a cause you would like to help
out and why?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Level W-X Reader
More Important Than an Awning (answers)
1. Vocabulary
b. easily noticeable
c. a thought that is different from the one he is talking about
a. an organization that loans small amount of money to
people around the world
c. rapidly growing
2. Determine the theme of the story and the events that support
the theme.
A. At the beginning of the story, Gianni didn’t think that

small donations could make that much of a difference.
But by the end of the story, he was surprised that his

donation had helped a lot.
B. What event in the story changed Gianni’s opinion the

most?
d. when Gianni learns about how much his donation

helped the woman and her family
C. Gianni new loans demonstrate that his attitude towards

donations has changed.
3. Charities
Answers may vary.

Level W-X Reader
migration biologist scuba

organisms regulator documenting
The Deep and the Dark
While the moon shone overhead amidst a shimmery

blanket of stars, Dustin said good -bye to the sky and
dove underwater, breathing as normally as possible
into his scuba regulator. The deep, dark blackness of
the ocean loomed below him as Dustin lowered
himself down into the depths.
He had never done a night dive. Even though he was

with his uncle, and the boat was above bobbing in
the waves, an eerie feeling came over him . Dustin
wondered what lurked in the dark waters below.
His uncle came into view, sudden ly veering close to Dustin’s face.
He winked and gave Dustin an okay sign with his fingers. You
couldn’t talk under water, so communication was by hand signals.
Dustin repeated the sign back. He was okay, just a little bit nervous.
In the motorboat, a few moments before getting into the water,

Dustin’s uncle had helped him put on his gear, including the tank,
fins, and goggles. His uncle told him silly jokes so Dustin wouldn’t be
too nervous. “Why don’t skeletons teach diving? They don’t have
the guts! Which dog knows how to swim underwater? Scuba -doo!
Why don’t sharks eat clowns? Because they taste funny !”

Level W-X Reader
Dustin had laughed onboard, but he didn’t feel like giggling as he

continued down into the blackness.
What would he see? What creatures would come out of the pitch-
black, and how big would they be? Dustin was excited to be helping
with his uncle’s scientific research, but he couldn’t stop his
imagination from picturing a half -dragon, half-shark animal charging
out at him from the endless black water. Dusti n swallowed and tried
to focus on following his uncle, and the underwater lantern clipped
on his belt , down into the darknes .
Dustin and his uncle had a special bond. Not only did they share the
same name (Dustin was named after his uncle), but they both l oved
the ocean. Big D, as his family nicknamed him, was a marine
biologist. He spent most of his days on boats studying the ocean, its
creatures and their daily life. He often took underwater pictures and
videos of the animals and creatures he saw. Photos made identifying
and documenting sea life much easier. Photos also made it easier to
share the knowledge with others. Prior to the development of
underwater photography, marine biologists had to sketch what they
saw, sometimes things they had only glimpsed briefly.
Tonight, Big D. was having Dustin take

pictures using an underwater photography
technique called blackwater photography .
Blackwater photography used the
blackness of the ocean as the background,
while the sea creature s being
photographed were lit up by a flashlight
and the camera’s flash, called a strobe.

Level W-X Reader
Dustin had already tried scuba diving with

his uncle. He had seen lots of fish, a sea
turtle and a giant moray eel, but tonight in
the dark, they wouldn’t see the normal
marine life swimming on coral reefs. He
would only see what his uncle pointed the
flashlight at while he took its picture.
This objective of this dive was to

photograph some of the organisms taking
part in a diel, a “daily vertical migration ”, sometimes shortened to
DVM. The DVM takes place each day all over the world, involving
millions of sea creatures.
Organisms such as fish, squid, krill, jellyfish, copepods (groups of

small crustaceans) and others, migrate, or move, toward the surface
of the ocean every single night, res ponding to the changes in light.
As the light shifts away at sunset, the animals ascend or rise toward
the surface. They feed in the warmer waters and then retreat
downward into the colder depths. In terms of biomass (the total
mass of organisms in a given area), diel vertical migration is the
largest migration in the world!
Dustin’s uncle had told him that the DVM had been accidently
discovered. During the Second World War, ships had been using
sonar readings to look for enemy submarines, when the echo -
sounder had detected vertical movement of marine animals en
masse. At the time, they didn’t know why the DVM took place, but
since then, oceanographers and marine biologists deduced that the
main reasons are to avoid predators and search for food.

Level W-X Reader
Through his wetsuit, Dustin could feel the water

temperature dropping the deeper they went. He
continued to follow the lead rope downward until
Big D. stopped and looked over at him. He gave
him the sign for okay with his hand and then passed
Dustin the underwater camera which was already set up
to take the pictures.
It was time! His uncle turned off his belt light as he turned
on the flashlight. The beam of light lit up a tiny creature so close to
Dustin that he could almost touch it. Dustin hadn’t even known it
was there. The light from the flashlight passed right through its tissue-
paper-like fins. The creature’s miniature tentacles drift ed behind it.
Its eyes seemed to be looking right at Dustin, as if posing for its
close-up.
Dustin’s finger squeezed the trigger button and the camera took a
few, fast pictures as the creature drifted slowly up toward the light.
Dustin remembered to keep his movements very slow as more and
more organisms appeared close to his body. He took picture after
picture, marveling a t each creature which appeared. One had so
many shiny, strand -like tentacles he wondered how they didn’t get
all tangled up. The next creature was very squid -like, with shiny eyes
and a nearly transparent body; it was followed closely by a mini -
jellyfish.
After that came a skeleton -looking fish and then a tiny snake with a
silvery body and green shining eyes. Dustin quickly took a picture of
it but the strobe startled him and the teeny snake swam off at full
speed down into the darkness.

Level W-X Reader
Dustin stopped worrying abo ut made-up creatures because the ones

in front of him were so amazingly alien. He lost track of time and was
surprised when his uncle gestured that it was time to return to the
surface. The hour that had gone by felt like just a few minutes.
Dustin surfaced, scrambled into the boat, spat out his regulator and
collapsed onto the bottom of the boat. All of the nervous energy
and excitement had tired him out. As his uncle packaged up the
diving gear, Little D. leaned over the side of the boat, squinting into
its murky depths.
The dark sea didn’t seem eerie anymore. It seemed like a

fantasyland a thousand times more spectacular than Disney World.

Level W-X Reader
The Deep and the Dark (exercises)
1. Multiple Choice
Which creatures take part in the Diel Vertical Migration? Circle

all that apply.
a. squids
b. jellyfish
c. krill
d. copepods (groups of small crustaceans)
e. fish
In order to take pictures, we need light. Where does the light

come from in blackwater photography?
a. The photographers use infra -red lights shining d own from

the boats.
b. They use light reflected off of the coral .
c. All the fish in the DVM glow in the dark .
d. The light comes from flashlights and the camera’s flash .
How did Dustin and his uncle communicate under water?
a. walkie talkies
b. WhatsApp
c. smoke signals
d. hand signals

Level W-X Reader
2. Short Answers
A. How does underwater photography help to identify the

organisms taking part in the vertical migration ?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
B. How was the Diel Vertical Migration discovered ?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
C. When and where does the DVM take pla ce?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. Pretend you are on a deep -water dive at night. For each of

your 5 senses, write a sentence describing what you are
experiencing.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Level W-X Reader
The Deep and the Dark (answers)
1. Multiple Choice
Which creatures take part in the Diel Vertical Migration? Circle all
that apply.
a. squids
b. jellyfish
c. krill
d. copepods (groups of small crustaceans)
e. fish
In order to take pic tures, we need light. Where does the light come
from in b lackwater photography?
d. The light comes from flashlights and the camera’s flash.
How did Dustin and his uncle communicate under water?
d. hand signals
2. Short Answers
A. Underwater photography records exactly what organism s

taking part in the migration look like; it is more reliable than a
person making a sketch from memory. (Answers may vary)
B. The DVM was discovered accidentally during World War II

when ships using sonar were attempting to locate enemy
submarines and discovered the enormous biomass of
creatures rising tow ard the surface instead.
C. The DVM takes place e very night in oceans all over the world.

Level W-X Reader
premiering intimidated groundlings

playwright hysterically dramatically
A Rose by Any Other Name
Jules’ leather-clad feet crunched and cracked across the discarded

nut carcasses strewn across the sandy ground. She pushed her way
through the masses of spectators, being knocked about slightly by
laughing, howling and clapping people. Her left foot stumb led on an
apple core, and her right slipped on an orange peel as she tried to
make her way backstage.
Around her in The Globe Theatre, everyone was laughing hysterically

over The Comedy of Errors , a favorite play by Mr. Shakespeare. The
groundlings, thos e theater goers who stood in the area around the
stage, screamed loudly with laughter, their breath reeking of ale as
Jules wiggled past them.
The crowd was even larger than normal, as

later that night they would be premiering a
new play by Shakespeare. O pening nights
always caused extra attention and excitement.
As she made her way through the raucous

crowd, Jules didn’t pay much attention to the actors on stage. She
had seen The Comedy of Errors many times before. Her father
worked at the theater, selli ng snacks and ale to the groundlings, and
Jules often met him there after plays ended.

Level W-X Reader
Jules finally emerged backstage and leaned back against the door
after it closed. As she brushed off her dress and headed to the small
office where she could work while she waited for her father, she saw
Mrs. Montague running towards her.
Breathlessly, she clutched Jules’ arm. “Child, have you heard?”
Jules looked up at Mrs. Montague, confused.
“No, Mrs. Montague. Of what do you speak?”
“Oy, my love, ‘tis the most marvelous, tremendous, spectacular

news! Her Majesty the Queen will be attending the show tonight!
Can you imagine anything more fabulous?”
Mrs. Montague clutched her hands together against her chest,

gazing up at the ceiling. She twirled an d swooned as she
dreamt of the moment she would see the Queen.
“Imagine, little one - Her Majesty herself, with her

flame-red hair, caked -on white face paint, and
ruby-red lips! I heard she doesn’t smell very
good, though, my love, but let’s keep that to
ourselves,” Mrs. Montague giggled.
Jules smiled, but before she could answer, Mrs. Montague went on.
“To be fair, no one in this theatre smells good, us included! But,

young Jules, if Her Majesty is attending, then Mr. Shakespeare must
be attending as well, since it’s his play, and it is opening night!” She
grabbed onto Jules’ arm again, squeezing tightly.

Level W-X Reader
Jules was nervous at the thought of Mr. Shakespeare himself

attending the play. She thought of herself as a writer, and she knew
she would be very intimidated to be in the presence of the
famous playwright. Jules placed her own hand over Mrs.
Montague’s, and patted it gently. “We should be so
lucky to have him here with us, Mrs. Montague! Now, I
feel inspired to work on my own play once again.
Can you fetch me a quill and a pot of ink, please?”
“Oh, yes, my dear, I shall be right back . I find it

so exciting that someone as young as yourself
has a love for writing; it will bring you good
things one day,” Mrs. Montague said, beaming
before exiting the room in a flurry.
Jules spent the next couple of hours writing in the small office,
during which time the matinee ended, and the theatre crew,
including her beloved Papa, cleaned everything up in time for the
big opening night performance.
Jules was suddenly jolted out of her thoughts by a booming voice

coming from inside the theatre. She got up, walked to the door, and
opened it just a crack to listen to the announcement.
“Hear ye, hear ye! All rise as we humbly welcome the gracious,
merciful, beloved Her Maje sty Queen Elizabeth, on this day, the 10th
day of June, in the year Fifteen Hundred and Ninety -Seven. Long
may she reign!”

Level W-X Reader
Jules stood at the open door watching as the announcer bowed.

The audience bowed and curtsied as Her Majesty walked past them.
Jules herself curtsied, even from such a distance. The Queen slowly
strode through The Globe, her long, gold -trimmed dress swishing
across the sandy floor, as she took her seat on the theatre’s own,
personal throne. Jules was taken aback by the Queen’s
appearance, just as Mrs. Montague had described.
A loud bang behind her caused Jules to spin around,

only to find a man standing in front of her, holding a
bundle of papers in his hands.
“Shut that door, child! She’ll hear us!” he

exclaimed in a loud whisper.
Jules did as she was told. As she got a better look at the man, her
eyes popped wide open. He was of average height, with slightly
curly hair, a small beard, black velvet clothing that looked
expensive, and one golden hoop earring. It was William Shakespeare
himself!
“Can I help you, sir?”
“Alas, I am done for! Tonight is the night, and I am a failure,” the

man said, before dramatically throwing himself into a chair . “Her
Majesty just informed me that she hates the title of my new play! The
play is named after the two young lovers in the story. Changing the
title would ruin it,” he said, groaning as he rested his forehead on
the table.

Level W-X Reader
“May I ask, sir, what the play is called?’
“It is called “Romeo and Mary!” He cringed, realizing his mistake, a

mistake even Jules could figure out. He shook his head.
Jules stared down at the floor, afraid to say anything.
“I simply forgot that her Majesty dislikes her cousin, Mary, Queen of
Scots, and her sister, Queen Mary I. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth was
enraged by the play’s title!” Quieting down, he noticed the quill, ink
and paper on Jules’ small desk and paused, staring at the wall.
“Do you know how to write, child?” he asked.
“I do, my lord.”
Dropping the bundle of papers in front of

Jules, Mr. Shakespeare said, “We must
change the script immediately.
Everywhere you see the name Mary, cross
it out and write in …”. His voice trailed off
as he thought about it. “Pray tell, young
one, what name have you?” His fingers
drummed on the tabletop, his eyes open wide .
“I’m called Jules, sir… or, well, Jules is rather more of a nickname,
sir. My real first name is actually Juliet. My mother was French, and
so she wanted to give me a French name.”
“Juliet!” Shakespeare gasped, both hands clutching at his hair.

Level W-X Reader
“Juliet Capulet, it even rhymes! Your name is perfection! A rose by

any other name certainly does not smell as sweet! Now, quickly
child, strike out the cursed name Mary from these pages and write in
Juliet in its place. I will go inform the company of players of the new
name.” Spinning around dramatically, Shakespeare gave a small
bow, and exited the room.
An hour later, Jules stood once more at the door, watching William
Shakespeare on stage, announcing t he name of his new play.
“Ladies and Gentlemen of London, debuting for the very first time
this evening on the stage of The Globe Theatre, I give you, Romeo
and Juliet!”

Level W-X Reader
A Rose by Any Other Name (exercises)
1. Multiple Choice
What Shakespeare play were the groundlings watching at the

start of the story?
a. Hamlet
b. Macbeth
c. The Comedy of Errors
d. As You Like It
Who is the Queen of England who Shakespeare wants to

impress on opening night?
a. Mary, Queen of Scots

b. Queen Charlotte
c. Marie Antoinette
d. Queen Elizabeth
What is Jules a nickname for?
a. Julia
b. Julie
c. Juliet
d. Julianne

Level W-X Reader
2. True or False
__________ In this story, the original name of Romeo and Juliet

was Romeo and Jane.
__________ The name for the theatre goers who stood in the
area close to the stage is the groundlings.
__________ This story is set in the year 1972.
3. Short Answer
A. In the story, Jules spends most days at the theatre where

her father works. What’s the name of the theatre?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
B. Jules was given her name by her mother, who was from
which country?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
C. Why didn’t the Queen like that Shakespeare use the name
Mary for one of the characters in the play?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Level W-X Reader
D. Giving an interesting title to a book, play or movie can

help get more people interested in it. Think of your
favorite book, movie or play and write a new title for it.
Explain why you chose your new title.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Level W-X Reader
A Rose by Any Other Name (answers)
1. Multiple Choice
c. The Comedy of Errors

d. Queen Elizabeth
c. Juliet
2. True or False
False In this story, the original name of Romeo and Juliet

was Romeo and Jane.
True The name for the theatre goers who stood in the
area close to the stage is the groundlings.
False This story is set in the year 1972 .
3. Fill in the blank.
A. The Globe Theatre.
B. France.
C. Because the Queen dislikes her cousin, Mary, Queen of

Scots, and her sister, Queen Mary I.
D. Answers will vary.

Level W-X Reader
drone traumatized rotor

ravine propulsion remote
A Dog and a Drone
As soon as Stirling heard the dog next door barking, he knew he was
in trouble again. Sure enough, when he took his VR goggles off, he
saw his neighbor’s angry face glaring at him over the fence. “I’m
sorry,” Stirling quickly said. “I don’t know what happe ned this time.”
“Your toy almost hit me in the head as it fell out of the sky! What if it
landed on poor Lulu?”
Stirling put down the remote and climbed over the low fence. Lulu
the Shih-Tzu was in a frenzy, fiercely bouncing around the drone,
growling and barking. She seemed to think the drone was out to get
her.
“Poor Lulu. She’s traumatized,”

Marion cried.
Stirling picked up the drone and

examined it for damage. Luckily it
had landed in the soft flowerbed
and was okay. “I’m sorry, you’ll
never have it in your garden
again,” Stirling promised, climbing
back into his own yard.

Level W-X Reader
Stirling had been flying drones since his

dad had given him one for his tenth
birthday two years ago. His dad had
explained how drones are like flying
robots. Drones have four rot ors, like
fans, for propulsion and control. When
rotor blades spin, they push air away like a
fan does, and the drone is pushed in the opposite direction. By
varying the power to the four motors, the drone is able to ascend,
hover, turn, and descend.
To lift the drone upwards, the rotors push air downwards. The lifting
force has to be strong enough to overcome the weight of the drone
itself. To make the drone climb faster, you have to continue to
increase the thrust , or speed, of the rotors. Descending inc ludes
slowing the rotor speed so that the lifting force is less than the
gravitational pull downwards, but not too much less or the drone will
fall uncontrollably and crash.
To move forward or backward, the drone spins its rotors at different

speeds; this causes the drone to tilt and move in a particular
direction. In order to make turns, the different rotors are slowed
down or sped up in a precise way for a short time. Of course, the
drone has to overcome any wind pushing it and avoid obstacles like
trees or telephone wires.
The motors which power the rotors are controlled by a remote unit
held by the pilot. Most of the drone’s actions are controlled by a
joystick. The drone itself has all sorts of built -in sensors and software
to help assist it in flight c ontrol.

Level W-X Reader
Stirling’s new drone was his first FPV (first -

person view) drone. It was a similar size
and weight to his last drone, but with
this one he could wear VR goggles
and see what the camera o n the
drone could see. It was faster in its
acceleration and rotations and had a
range of almost 10 kilometers! Stirling was worried it would fly out of
range and get lost, so to be on the safe side, he had been careful
to keep it near his house.
Stirling had learned how to bank turns, control the acceleration, go

up and down mid -air, and hover steadily, but he was having
difficulty landing in a safe and controlled way. The drone kept
dropping down unexpectedly. Luckily the ir neighbor Marion didn’t
have a pool!
Stirling was determined to become an expert drone pilot. Drones

were already being used for media and filming, emergency search
and rescues, climate change research, and military purposes. He
had recently read about drones being tested as commercial
delivery systems. Imagine a future where packages are de livered to
your doorstep by drones! Every time Stirling researched drones, he
got more excited.
“Are you listening to me?” Marion asked.
“Yes,” Stirling replied automatically, realizing he hadn’t heard a

word she’d been saying.

Level W-X Reader
“Keep it out of my yard!” sh e repeated. “I’m taking Lulu for her

walk.”
About half an hour later, Stirling’s front doorbell rang. It was Marion
and she was frantic.
“Have you seen Lulu? She slipped out of her harness and
disappeared. I thought maybe she’d come back
home, but I can’t find her.”
“I haven’t seen her,” Stirling replied.
Marion looked as if she were about to burst into tears. “What if she
went over the edge of the bluff?”
The bluff at the nearby park was a sheer ravine covered in bushes
and trees. It was treacherous terra in where many dogs and cats had
been lost over the years. Marion had already called the local
volunteer search and rescue team, but trying to find a pet on the
steep and bushy hillside was almost impossible.
“I can help you find Lulu,” Stirling said. “My d rone can fly over the
edge, and with my camera I can see where she is.”
Marion gasped. “You can do that?”
“Absolutely.” As he got his goggles, Stirling felt uneasy. He was

excited and he wanted to help, but he also worried about losing his
drone over the e dge of the bluff. What if it suddenly lost power
again and plummeted down? He wished he had had more time to
practice!

Level W-X Reader
Stirling led the way to where he thought would be

the best place from which to pilot the drone. He
put on his goggles and paused. He was having
second thoughts. Maybe this was a bad idea. What
if he lost his drone? It was pretty expensive.
However, one look at his distraught neighbor

convinced him that he had to give it a try. “Here
we go,” he said in what he hoped was a calm
voice. With shaking hands, he launched the drone
and flew it into the ravine.
A few minutes into his search, the rescue crew showed up. They
understood immediately what Stirling was trying to do. “If you can
locate the dog, it would help us a lot,” the officer sa id to Stirling.
“We can’t rescue him if we can’t find him.”
Through the camera, Stirling could see the uneven slope of the bluff.
The drone descended the bluff a few yards and then rotated to the
left. Nothing. Stirling made the drone ascend and hover abo ut mid -
way, but he still couldn’t see Lulu. As he moved further east, the
drone suddenly dropped, but Stirling managed to regain control and
continue his search. He decided to methodically scan the bluff from
one side to the other, with each pass at a diff erent level.
Back and forth the drone went, without any sign of Lulu. It was hard
to concentrate with Marion sobbing beside him. The rescue workers
watched patiently, still hopeful. Stirling was growing concerned
about his battery life. If the battery ran out, the drone would
disappear into the thick bush, never to be found.

Level W-X Reader
He tried descending one more time to where there was a dip in the
ravine, but he couldn’t see anything except thick bush. Stirling was
about to give up and bring the drone back when s uddenly they all
heard Lulu’s ferocious barking. Stirling maneuvered the drone a little
to the left and then spotted Lulu, about 10 yards away. The small
dog was going crazy, barking at its nemesis.
“Found her!” he shouted. “She’s about ten yards down bel ow that
big oak tree. She’s barking at the drone. You should be able to hear
her while I hover.” The rescue crew leapt to their feet and followed
the sound of the enraged dog. Ten minutes later, Marion was
clutching Lulu in her arms, giving her kisses and cuddles.
“Thank you, Stirling,” Marion said. “Thank you so much.”
“You might want to add pet rescue to your resume,” the officer
joked. He gave Stirling his card and suggested that Stirling join the
team. They could use his drone and his expertise. Stirli ng beamed
with pride as he waved good -bye.
Marion brought Lulu over to Stirling so

he could pet her.
“I’m glad you’re okay, Lulu,” he

said.
“Lulu might not like your drone, but I sure

do,” Marion said. “But just keep it out of my
yard!”

Level W-X Reader
A Dog and a Drone (exercises)
1. True or False
__________ A drone can lose power as it exceeds the range of

the remote controller.
__________ Drones are easier to learn to fly in areas with lots of

trees, buildings, and people.
__________ A drone has a battery which dictates its flyin g time.
__________ Drones can fly because they are lighter than air.
2. Multiple Choice
What might drones be used for both now and in the future ?
a. emergency first responders

b. filming
c. transporting cargo
d. collecting data for envi ronmental science
e. all of the above
How many rotors did Stirling’s first drone have ?
a. two
b. three
c. four
d. twelve

Level W-X Reader
For the drone to move upwards, the lift must overcome what?
a. the wind
b. the gravitational pull
c. the complaints of neighbors
d. the attacks of birds
3. Short Answers
Name four movements a drone can do .
_______________________________________________________________________
What can Stirling see through the goggles?
_______________________________________________________________________
How does lift occur?
_______________________________________________________________________
4. Write a paragraph describing a possible use for a drone, other

than those mentioned in the story.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Level W-X Reader
A Dog and A Drone (answers)
1. True or False
True A drone can lose power as it exceeds the range of

the remote controller .
False Drones are easier to learn to fly in areas with lots of

trees, buildings, and people .
True A drone has a battery which dictates its flyin g time.
False Drones can fly because they are lighter than air.
2. Multiple Choice
e. all of the above

c. four
b. the gravitational pull
3. Short Answers
Name four movements a drone can do. (Answers may vary)

ascend or climb, descend, hover, turn, land.
What can Stirling see through the goggles?

Stirling can see whatever the drone camera sees.
How does lift occur?

The rotor fans push the air downwards creating the lifting force.
4. Answers will vary.

More from K5 Learning
Math Workbooks
We carry a comprehensive range of kindergarten to grade 7 math workbooks, organized
by subject matter and grade level. Highly recommended!
Levelled Readers
Our online bookstore carries a full series of levelled readers from the kindergarten to
grade 6 level, available for download and printing.
Grammar, Vocabulary and Spelling Workbooks

We have grammar, vocabulary and spelling workbooks for grades 1-5. We also have
cursive writing workbooks and phonics and sight words flashcards.
Visit the store at store.k5learning.com
Free Worksheets
We have thousands of free reading and math worksheets on our site for kindergarten
through grade 5 students. Just download and print; no registration required.
www.k5learning.com

k5 Learning Reader Level WX

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

k5 Learning Reader Level WX

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

k5 Learning Reader Level WX

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

6

Level W-X Workbook

Please visit store.k5learning.com for more workbooks from K5 Learning.

List of Vocabulary Words .................................................................................................... 3

Stories & Exercises:

Babushka and the Nomads ......................................................................................................... 4

A Day at the Chariot Races ....................................................................................................... 16

Santa’s Fake Son...................................................................................................................... 25

The Surfing Princess ................................................................................................................. 35

More Important Than an Awning ............................................................................................... 43

The Deep and the Dark ............................................................................................................. 54

A Rose by Any Other Name ...................................................................................................... 62

A Dog and a Drone. .................................................................................................................. 72

More from K5 Learning ....................................................................................................... 81

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020

Introduction & Tips

We work with award-winning teachers to create materials in support of independent

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 1

Some tips on using our leveled readers

• Ask older students to look up words they don’t know in a dictionary.

• Monitor your student’s progress and adjust reading levels as needed.

• Keep the reading fun!

Other books in this series

Questions & Feedback

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 2

List of Vocabulary Words

biologist brutal chariot charity

communities continental culture documenting

donation dramatically drone elaborate

ethnic fertilizer gossiping groundlings

Hawaii hippodrome hyperactive hysterically

intimidated inventory luxurious migration

muscular mutton nomads organisms

ornate perplexed playwright premiering

propulsion prosperous randomly ravine

recitations regulator remote revelation

rhythm rotor scar scuba

seamstress spectators suspiciously traumatized

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 3

ethnic nomads recitations

Babushka and the Nomads

Dahlia stared forlornly out of

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 4

Derek Yeon was Dahlia’s favorite You Tuber. The

“Stop pouting,” Aidana scolded.

Dahlia turned her gaze to her babushka. The

“I know where I come from,” Dahlia protested. “And we have plenty

Aidana eyed Dahlia skeptically. “What do you know about

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 5

“I know that it used to be part of the Soviet Union,” Dahlia

Aidana sighed again. “We’re not in the middle of nowhere, Dahlia.

Dahlia looked up from her disconnected phone and focused her

A short time later, they came upon a village c onstructed of portable

“What is this?” Dahlia asked.

“This is the World Nomad Games,”

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 6

Aidana smiled at Dahlia’s surprised

www.k5learning.com © K5 Learning 2020 7

“It’s kuurdak.” As she answered, Dahlia turned around and promptly