1. Word Meanings From Context. Use the context to help you determine the meaning of each highlighted word.

1.No matter where you go, the Internet is following you. Almost every portable device is being made with an Internet connection. Most new TVs and many other appliances come with Internet connections as well. The Internet is truly ubiquitous. If something is ubiquitous, __________. a. it is fuzzy and will bite you b. it is everywhere c. it costs too much money d. it causes rashes 2. Speaking rudely to the judges was rash behavior. You really hurt your chances of winning! In the above context, what does rash mean? a. an itchy skin condition b. funny c. trying to hide or disguise a piece of cheese d. with little thought or consideration 3. Some people are always bashing the president just like others bashed the one before him. Wouldn't you think that everyone could find something to praise him for, at least once in a while? What does bashing mean in the above selection? a. hitting hard with a heavy tool b. going to too many expensive parties c. speaking or writing harshly about d. voting for a different candidate 4. Wherever he goes, the esteemed Dr. Sanchez is applauded for his life saving research. What does esteemed mean? a. held over boiling water b. very old c. unable to chew gum d. greatly admired

A Lucky Coin Read the article first without stopping to find the missing words. Then read it again and choose the correct missing word from the numbered choices below the article.

When does one penny equal 170 million pennies? In Time for Kids, Suzanne Zimbler __1__ that a 1943 U.S. penny that was made at the Denver Mint has sold for $ 1.7 million. That single coin is thought to be the __2__ copper coin made in Denver that year. Only a handful of copper pennies were made at the other mints that same year. Pennies were made of steel in 1943 because copper was in short supply for use in equipment to help wage World War ii. That was the only year that Lincoln pennies were not made of __3__. A wealthy coin collector was eager to pay the huge sum for the coin because it was one of a kind and that collector already had a 1943 copper penny from each of the other two U.S. Mints in Philadelphia and San Francisco. You might be surprised to learn what some of your own coins are worth. The more scarce any collectible item is, the higher the __4__ tends to be. It's not likely, but it is possible that you might have a small __5__ sitting in your pocket right now!

1) a. pleads b. asks c. allows d. reports 2) a. biggest b. only c. cheapest d. chubby 3) a. copper b. gold

c. plastic d. silver 4) a. building b. stack c. ladder d. price 5) a. spider b. fortune c. tooth d. dollar

September 27, 2010

LEGEND NUMISMATICS D stands for Denver. This is the only penny made out of copper at the Denver mint in 1943. A Penny's Worth A one-of-a-kind penny sells for more than a million dollars By Suzanne Zimbler

Some people say pennies bring good luck. Others say pennies are not worth saving. After all, a penny is only worth a cent. But one unusual penny turned out to be worth a lot more when a coin collector paid $1.7 million for it earlier this month. The coin is one of a kind. It is the only penny that the Denver mint made out of copper, instead of steel, in 1943. Because it is unique, it is also very valuable. No penny has ever sold for this much money. The Changing Penny The Lincoln penny first appeared in 1909. For 34 years, the one-cent coin was made out of copper. Then, in 1943, the penny changed. World War II was going on, and copper was needed for equipment. So for one year, pennies were made out of steel instead. At least most of them were. A small handful of coins were made out of leftover copper. There are three main mints, or places where coins are made, in the United States. Of the known copper pennies from 1943, twelve were made in the Philadelphia mint, and five were made in the San Francisco mint. Only one was made in the Denver mint.
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Nobody knows for sure why a copper penny was made at the Denver mint in 1943, coin-dealer Andy Skrabalak told TFK. "There's a rumor that a mint employee [made] the coin in the middle of the night," he said.

MATTHEW STAVER BLOOMBERG/AP The Denver mint is one of three main mints in the United States. A Special Set The coin collector who bought the $1.7 million penny wants to remain anonymous, or unknown. But the reason for his purchase is known. He already had two copper pennies from 1943one from the San Francisco mint and one from the Philadelphia mint. To complete the set, he needed the Denver penny. The three coins will go on display at a rare-coin convention in Tampa, Florida, this January. The collector who sold the penny is also keeping his identity a secret. It took four years to convince him to give up the rare coin. Now that he finally sold it, he is donating all of the money to charity.

2. Drawing Conclusions. Read the selection and then choose the statement that is most likely true.

1. Emir rarely rides to school each morning. He could take the school bus but prefers to walk the two miles from his home to school. He believes that the walk wakes him up and improves his learning throughout the day. a. Emir always rides the bus home at the end of the school day. b. Emir never rides the bus to school.
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c. Emir values learning. d. Emir is usually late for school. 2. Remember, Maria, Mrs. Russo said, youre very allergic to chocolate. Please dont eat any chocolate candy at the Halloween party! Three hours later, Maria was home from the party with a terrible stomach ache. I promise you, Mom, Maria groaned, Ill always do what you say from now on. a. Maria got into a fight at the party. b. Maria ate chocolate at the party. c. Maria ate no chocolate at the party. d. Maria embarrassed herself by singing at the party. 3. In another week, well be turning our clocks back one hour. Then it will be almost dark by the time most of us get home from school. It will seem as if we suddenly have less daylight each day. Of course, people arent actually changing the behavior of the sun or the earth by messing with their clocks. a. Our planet has to spin faster when we reset our clocks. b. Its clear that turning our clocks back will help prevent global warming. c. If according to our clocks, the sun sets an hour earlier, it will also rise an hour earlier. d. The earth will actually rotate at a slower rate when we turn back the clocks. 4. Every time I give my cat a plate of tuna, he ignores it. Every time I give him a plate of salmon, he quickly eats it all. When I feed him beef, he eats a little bit of it, but doesnt seem to love it. a. Cats prefer salmon over tuna. b. I give my cat more than one kind of food. c. My cat likes tuna better than beef. d. My cat wont eat fish.

3. Feathers and Gas. Your choices will show how well you understood the reading selections. You may reread all or part of the selections to help you answer correctly.

The BBC is reporting that Harry Potter is responsible for the dwindling number of wild owls in India. One of the reasons that owls are being trapped and sold as pets is that parents are buying them as gifts for their kids who are fans of the fictional wizard. As you may already know, Harry has his own pet owl, Hedwig.
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1. What does dwindling mean? a. having feathers b. becoming less c. flying d. appearing in movies 2. Many children in India want owls _______. a. as pets b. to become extinct c. as a special food item d. to use their feathers in hats 3. From the above selection, we can see that _______. a. Everyone loves Harry Potter movies b. Owls dont taste as good as chickens c. People want to wipe out owls d. being popular can be harmful

Volvo is building a car that will use gasoline without burning it. CNet Car Tech reports that Volvo will use a fuel cell that converts the hydrogen in gasoline into electricity to run the vehicles electric motor when the battery is low. The plug-in hybrid will go farther on the same amount of fuel because regular gasoline engines waste much of the fuels energy as heat. 4. To fill this car with fuel, _______. a. youll have to find a station that sells hydrogen b. youll be able to go to any regular gas station c. you must plug it in overnight d. you only need to add water 5. What does converts mean? a. frightens b. burns c. loses d. Changes

4. Vocabulary - Meanings From Context. Use the context to help you determine the meaning of each highlighted word.

1.I believe that if you lower taxes so that people can keep more of the money they earn, it will be an incentive for them to work harder. What is the meaning of incentive? __________. a. a reason to do something b. a small amount of money c. a tax d. a good job 2. Most of America's Founding Fathers did not believe in women's suffrage. Only men could vote in the United states until 1920. What is suffrage ? a. something that causes physical pain b. an early flag c. skirts that did not cover ankles d. the right to vote 3. Some people are sure that the new health care law will mean better care for everyone. Others argue that the law will mean less care and longer waiting lines for those who need to see doctors. It's a controversy that will not go away soon. A controversy is something that people _______. a. have strong disagreements over b. blow their noses into c. need to pay for a visit to a doctor d. eat with sweet candy 4. Removing seeds from cotton plants was a slow job until Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. What is a cotton gin? a. a drink b. a book c. a machine d. a cloth

5. Vocabulary - Meanings From Context Use the context to help you determine the meaning of each highlighted word.
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1. In the early 1600s, a dangerous trip across the Atlantic Ocean was a daunting idea. The Europeans, who would someday be known as the Pilgrims, must have been a very determined and brave group of settlers. A daunting task is one that would _______ someone. a. tickle b. amuse c. lose or misplace d. frighten or intimidate 2. The original Pilgrims called themselves the Saints and referred to others who joined with them for the voyage as the Strangers. In this context, original means _______. a. one of a kind b. first c. humorous c. musical 3. The Saints and Strangers argued about how they would live in the New World. After much discussion, they came together and signed the Mayflower Compact. The Compact was _______. a. a container for makeup b. a small item c. a machine used for mashing corn d. an agreement 4. When the Pilgrims landed in what is now Massachusetts, they were fearful that the Native Americans would attack them. However, the people that they encountered, the Wampanoag Indians, were a peaceful and generous tribe. To encounter, is to _______. a. meet b. note how many c. fight d. exchange text messages