NameCompare and Contrast

Boy Meets Dog #1

Marcia,HaleyandVinstoodstill,lookingup.Awhitespeckwasslidingthroughthesky.Itmadecirclesaroundthemintheair,
growinggraduallylarger.Vinsquintedhiseyesandlookedupatit,listening,buttherewasnosoundcomingfromit.Itsaplane,
Vinsaid.Theycontinuedwatchingandamomentlatertheyheardthecrashandsquealoftheplanesbodyplowingdownintoaline
ofdistanttrees.Theyfeltthetremoroftheviolenceinthegroundbeneaththeirfeet.Thentheawfulnoisestopped.Foramoment
therewasnosoundatall.Thengraduallythebuzzingofinsects,thetwitteringandchirpingofbirdsandthescuttlingofsmall
animalsthenormalsoundsofthefieldresumed.Thechildrenstoods ll,staring.
Comeon,Vinsaid.Wehavetogo.Wehavetoreportthis.
Butsomebodymightneedhelp,Marciasaid.
Aplanejustfelloutofthesky.Noonesurvivedthat,Vinsaid.Theresnothingwecando.
Themassivedog,whosatpantingbesidethem,suddenlybegantowhine.Theycouldbarelyseethewreckagethroughthe
thicknessofthenextcopseoftrees.Thefirstwhiffofsmokereachedthem.Thedogstoodupandstartedtowardsthewoodsand
thewreckage,stillwhining.Thegirlsstartedafterthedog.Vinfollowed.Ahead,aplumeofsmokeroseuplikeashaftoutofthe
trees.
Insidethewoods,astripoftreesandbrushhadbeenflattened.Bothwingshadbrokenoffthesmallplaneandthefuselagewas
halfplowedintothegroundagainstareallyold,widetree.Itsdoorwasopen.Thethreeofthem
stoodstaringatthewreckage.MarciatookastepforwardbutVinputhishandonherarm.No,he
said.Illgo.Hisheartpounding,hewalkedalittleclosertothewreckage.Thesmokerosefrom
somewherenearthefront.Hecouldseethreebodiesinside,allstillfastenedtotheirseats.All
threelookeddead.Hebackedaway.
Wecantdoanything,hesaid.Comeon.Wehavetogetouthere.
Marcianodded.SheputherhandinVins.ThetwoturnedtoleavebutHaleystood,stubbornly,staring
atthecrash.ShehadherhandonRileyscollarandthedogcontinuedtowhine.Oneofthepassengersin
therewasaboy.Helookedolderthanher,youngerthanVin.Marciasage,maybe.Marciawalkeduptoher
andputherarmaroundhershoulders.Comeon,Haley.Theresnothingwecando.Tearscameintothe
littlegirlseyes.Shetuggedonthebigdogscollar.Rileywontleave,shesaid.
Yeshewill,Vinsaid.ComehereRiley.Comehere!Thegreatdogturnedhis
headtowardsVin,butinsteadofgoingtohimhetuggedoutofHaleysgraspandloped
offtowardsthewreckage.Heputhistwofrontpawstentativelyinsidethedoorwayof
theplaneandcranedhisneck,sniffing.Theboywasseatednearesttothedoor,and

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NameCompare and Contrast

Rileypushedathishandwithhisforehead,liftingitupandthenlettingitfalllimplybackdown.Hesniffedattheboyandlickedhim.
Hewhined.
Riley!Comehere!Vincalledtohimashemovedawayfromtheplane.Thedogwasnotfollowinghim.Heturnedback
towardsthewreckage,feelingsuddenlyfrustratedandangry.Thedogdidntlistentohim.Hestayedwiththemmoreorlesswhen
theywerealloutwalkingtogether.ButVincouldnotcontrolhim.Whenthedogwantedtochasearabbit,orstretchitslegs,itdid.
Andrightnowthedogwantedtocheckoutthedeadpassengersonthatplane.Hehadhisgreatfrontpawsupontheboysseat
now,snufflingathisface.ThethoughtofbeingsoclosetothedeadboymadeVinfeelkindofqueasy.Hereachedforthedogsthick
collarandtuggedbackwards.Rileygrowled.Riley!Come!Now!Butthedoglaydownstubbornlyacrossthedeadboysfeet.Vin
stood,lookingathimhelplessly.Helookedattheboyagain.Hischinwasonhischest,andhewasbeinghelduprightagainsthisseat
byaseatbelt.Hisarmsandlegswereslack.Hesitantly,Vinreachedoutandtouchedhim.Hewasntcold.
Hetookadeepbreathandputhishandonhimagain.Thistimehetooktheboyswristinhisfingersandhelditlightlytheway
thathisfather,adoctor,hadtaughthimtodo.Heheldhisbreathforamoment.Heshiftedhisfingersslightly,andwaitedagain.It
washardtofindapulse,andwhathedidfindwasweakbutitwasenoughtoknowthattheboywasstillalive.
Hereacheddownandpattedthedogonthehead.Goodboy,Riley!Vinranbacktohissisters.Theboysalive,hesaid.We
havetogogethelp.

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NameCompare and Contrast

Boy Meets Dog #2

Georgesfatherknewamanoutinthecountry
thathadakennel.Youcanpickoutoneofthe
pups,hetoldGeorge.Butitsgoingtobeyour
dog.Youaregoingtoberesponsibleforit.
Georgenodded.Hewasexcitedaboutthedog.He
wasalonelyboy,andhedidntalwaysknowhow
togetalongwellwithotherboys.Hewas
sensitive,oftenmisunderstood,and
sometimesovercomebyhisstrong
emotions.Justaweekbefore,hedbeenintrouble
atschoolforgettingintoafight.Youhavetobea
calm,commandingpresencetotrainadog,
Georgesfatherhadsaid.Adogwillhelpyou
learnhowtogetalongbetterwithpeople.
Theyparkednearthechainlinkfenceinfrontofthemansdilapidatedrancher.Thereweredozens
ofdogsinside,allages,shapesandsizes.Georgestoodgazingatthem,waitingforsomesignthata
certaindogwasmeantforhim.Hisattentionwaseventuallydrawntoonedoginparticular.Hewas
smallerthantheotherdogs,withasoftershapedhead.Theotherdogsweremulticoloredandspotted,
butthisdogwasasolidblack.Wheretheothersweresquarejawed,thisdoghadanelongatedsnout
andvelvetyjowls.HecameuptothefencewhereGeorgestood,histailwaggingsofuriouslythathis
noodlingbodyseemedpropelledbyit.Hewhined,andbarked,andliftedalargepawtobangonthe
fence.Georgetookastepclosertohim.Heputhisfingersout,tentatively.Thedoglickedatthem
throughoneofthediamondshapedopeningsinthechainlink.Whatsthematter?Georgemurmured
tothedog.Areyoulonely?Doyouwantoutofthere,boy?
Inthecenterofthekennel,oneoftheotherdogs,greyinthefacewithwild,greyeyebrowsanda
greymuzzle,shuffledslowlyacrossthedirtenclosuretowardsGeorge.Theblackdogwhohadbeenso
effusivelylickingGeorgesfingerssuddenlybegantogrowl.Georgesnatchedhishandbackinsurprise.
Thedogsvelvetysoftjowlscurleduptorevealsharp,whitecanines.Tuftsofhaironthebackofhisneck
roseupintoamaneandhisentirebodybecamerigid.Georgetookastepbackwards.Thegrowlgrew
louderandhigherinpitchandsuddenlytheblackdogleaptattheolderonewithasnarl.Georgehad
beensofixatedonthedogthathehadntseenhisfathersfriendstepoutofthewoodenbuildingand
intothekennelyard.Withasinglemotion,oneofthemanslargehandsshotoutandgrabbedthe
snarlingblackdoginmidairandflunghimacrossthekennelyard.Hethuddedagainstthechainlink
fencewithayelprightwhereGeorgewasstanding.
Ivebeenafraidthatwascoming,themansaid.HelookedatGeorge.Itwasalong,appraising
look.Youallright?Heaintgonnahurtyou.
Whathappened?Georgesaid.
Instinctiskickingin,themansaid.Hesayearandahalfold,andhesstartingtofeellikefighting
theotherboystobeincharge.Hesthenicestdogintheworldaroundpeople.Hejustdoesntgetalong
thatwellwithhisownkind.
Iknowhowhefeels,Georgesaid.Theblackdoglayonhissideagainstthefence,closetoGeorges
feet.Hislargebrowneyeslookedupattheboy.Itgavehimafunnyfeeling.Thedogwastryingto
communicatesomething.Hedidntknowhowheknew,butheknewthatitwastrue.Georgeturnedto
hisfather.Iwantthisone,hesaid.Hisfatherlookedathisfriend,whonoddedhisassent.

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NameCompare and Contrast

Boy Meets
Dog #1

Boy Meets
Dog #2

1.Howdoestheboymeetthedog?

2.Whoneedssaving?Whosaveswho?

3.Doyouthinkthatthedogsolvesthe
boysproblem?Whyorwhynot?

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