1. Grade 6 Lesson #1 TAKS TM READING

2. Vocabulary Development 2 Choose the best answer. 1. Will you brush my hair? a) She bought a new brush. b) After the storm, the yard was littered with brush. c) I need to brush the dog. d) She felt the kitten brush against her leg.

3. Vocabulary Development 3 Choose the word that correctly completes both sentences. 2. The second ______ of our encyclopedia set is missing. Please turn down the _______ on your stereo. f) Sound g) Volume h) Book i) Dial

4. Vocabulary Development 4 Choose the word with the more positive connotation meaning to complete each of the sentences below. 3. The ______ (antique, old) dresser was battered in the move.

5. Vocabulary Development 5 Choose the word with the more negative connotation meaning to complete each of the sentences below. 4. The sandwiches were ______ (moist, soggy) after being in the cooler all day.

6. Vocabulary Development 6 Choose the answer that best defines the underlined part. 5. prejudgepreschool a) After b) Less than c) More than d) before

7. Vocabulary Development 7 Choose the answer that best defines the underlined part. 6. cloudyitchy a) Much b) Not c) About to become d) less

8. Vocabulary Development 8 Choose the answer that best defines the underlined part. 7. semisweetsemicircle a) Group of b) Again c) Partly d) between

9. Vocabulary Development 9 Choose the answer that best defines the underlined part. 8. joyousambitious a) Full of b) Good c) Become d) One who

10. Vocabulary Development 10 Find the word that best completes each analogy. 9. Inhale is to exhale as tense is to ______ a) Breathe b) Nervous c) Gasp d) Relaxed

11. Vocabulary Development 11 Find the word that best completes each analogy. 10. Devastate is to destroy as renovate is to ______ a) Pulverize b) Replant c) Create d) Remodel

12. Comprehension 12 The Stanley Cup Today, one of the most popular spectator sports in the world is ice hockey. Each year, the teams of the National Hockey League play a series of games to determine who will win the championship of ice hockey. The winner is presented an award called the Stanley Cup. The Stanley Cup is one of the most prestigious awards in the world of sports. Ice hockey is now an international sport. But nowhere is hockey more popular than in Canada. Over 125 years ago, hockey-on-ice was played in Montreal, Canada. In 1870, the first official rules of the game were written. By 1880, official teams were organized into leagues.

13. Comprehension 13 Some of the first league games were played on town ice rinks that had bandstands right in the middle of the rinks! Later, special ice hockey rinks were built that even featured lights hung from telegraph poles. The popularity of the game seemed to sweep through Canada. One of hockey’s greatest fans was Lord Stanley of Preston, the sixth Governor General of Canada. Lord Stanley organized a championship game in which Canadian ice hockey teams would compete. On March 22, 1894, the first Stanley Cup game was played in Montreal, Canada, at Victoria Rink. The championship game received its name from the award presented to the winner. Donated by Lord Stanley, the first award was a sterling silver cup.

14. Comprehension 14 The original Stanley Cup has gone through several changes over the years. Bands were added on the bottom of the bowl to hold the names of more winners. After many years of wear, the original cup was retired to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969. After that first championship game in 1894, the game of ice hockey continued to grow in popularity. Today, the National Hockey League includes teams from America as well as Canada. The Montreal Canadiens hold the record for winning the most Stanley Cup championships. Each year, a new set of teams plays a series of games to determine who wins the championship of ice hockey and the Stanley Cup.

15. Comprehension 15 Choose the best answer. 11. Which sentence best summarizes the main idea of this passage? a) Americans do not like ice hockey as much as Canadians. b) The Stanley Cup was given to the winner of the first championship game. c) The rules of ice hockey were written in Canada. d) The Stanley Cup is a symbol of Canada’s love of ice hockey.

16. Comprehension 16 Choose the best answer. 12. Which statement about the Stanley Cup is not true? a) It was named after Lord Stanley. b) It is given to the ice hockey championship winner. c) The original cup was never changed. d) The Montreal Canadiens hold the record for winning it the most.

17. Comprehension 17 Choose the best answer. 13. In which year were ice hockey teams organized into leagues? a) 1870 b) 1880 c) 1894 d) 1900

18. Comprehension 18 Write a T if the statement is true and an F if the statement is false. Ice hockey __ 14. ______ is only played in the Stanley Sports Center. 15. ______ teams of the National League play a series of games for the championship. 16. ______ is now an international sport. 17. ______ was probably first played in France. 18. ______ is probably most popular in Canada.

19. Comprehension 19 Fill in the answers to the following questions. 19. When was the first Stanley Cup game played? 20. In what city was the first Stanley Cup game played? 21. Lord Stanley held what position in Canadian government? 22. The original Stanley Cup was retired in what year?

20. Literary Concepts 20 The Escape Into the shady glen the small figure rode on a pony little larger than a dog. The pony’s breath misted in the crisp air as the beast blew air out of its nostrils. The green-mantled figure patted the neck of the beast, whispering words of comfort into the animal’s ear. In response, the faithful steed nickered, thumped his wide hoofs twice upon the soft bed of the forest floor, and ceased its shaking. “We’ve left the raiders behind, old friend,” said Rowan, as she removed her hooded mantle and tossed her head back and forth, bringing peace to her own troubled mind. Rowan was one of four daughters of Sylvia, guide of all wood folk.

21. Literary Concepts 21 Suddenly, shouts of rough men cut through the glade’s peace. “In here, I tell ya. The maid’s gone to hiding in this grove.” “Nah, ya lunk. She’d never wait for us here. Not after she dunked old Stefan at the marsh. No! She’s a gone on to her crazy folk, don’tcha know.” The twp gray-cloaked riders dismounted, still arguing as they examined the earth for traces of the child’s flight. “Who was the lout who let her escape?” asked the first. “Tis one who no longer breathes the air so freely,” returned the second grimly. “The lord nearly choked the fool, even as the knave begged for mercy. Ah, there’s little patience for one who lets a mystic escape, to be true!”

22. Literary Concepts 22 Five nobly dressed horsemen wove through the trees to the clearing where these two rustics still squatted. In the lead came the fierce lord, a huge form with scarlet and gray finery worn over his coat of mail. “What say you?” he roared. “Have you found the trail of Rowan?” “No, sire,” spoke the first gray, trembling, “though I was certain the child headed into this wood. Shall I continue to search, lord?” “Aye, indeed,” replied the master calmly, controlled. “She is here. I know it, too. You have a keen sense for the hunt, Mikkel. Be at ready with your blade. And you too, Short Brush! Though a child, our Rowan is vicious with her weapon.”

23. Literary Concepts 23 “Yes, sire,” agreed Mikkel and Short Brush. The two grays beat the bushes in the search. Closer and closer they came to the child’s hiding place, a small earthen scoop created when the roots of a wind-blown tree pulled free of the earth. The evil lord and his lot remained mounted, ready to pursue should the young girl determine to take flight once more. And so, they were not prepared for the child’s play. Rowan softly, softly sang, “You wind-whipped branches shudder, shake. You oaks and cedars, tremble. Take these men and beasts who do us wrong. Not in these woods do they belong.”

24. Literary Concepts 24 As a mighty gust of wind roared, nearby trees slapped their branches to the point of breaking, reaching out and grasping the five mounted men. An immense gaping cavern opened in the trunk of an ancient oak and swallowed the five surprised mail-clad men whole. Mikkel and Short Brush, too, were lifted high into the air by a white pine and a blue spruce. Lifted high. Kept high. For a while. “Return from whence you came. Go to your families, and tell them of the wrath of Sylvia,” commanded Rowan. “She would not wish you to come to her land again!”

25. Literary Concepts 25 The pine and spruce tossed the two gray trackers over the trees of the forest and into the field beyond. The field was already harvested and soggy with the rains of autumn. Mikkel and Short Brush, unhurt but shaken by their arboreal flight, rose and fled immediately to tell their master of the strange doings of this wood.

26. Literary Concepts 26 Answer these questions. 23. What sort of creature is Rowan?

27. Literary Concepts 27 Answer these questions. 24. What do we know of her kind so far?

28. Literary Concepts 28 Answer these questions. 25. How many enemies are mentioned in this selection? How are they identified?

29. Literary Concepts 29 Answer these questions. 26. How do we know of the power of Rowan?

30. Literary Concepts 30 Answer these questions. 27. Imagine why the evil lord might wish to recapture Rowan?

31. Literary Concepts 31 Answer these questions. 28. Why might Rowan have allowed the two rustics to remain alive?

32. Literary Concepts 32 Answer these questions. 29. What probably happens when the two rustics return to report Rowan’s escape? What is the foreshadowing of what the reader might expect?

33. Literary Concepts 33 By Saturday Noon Saturday noon is one of those special times in our house. When I say special, I don’t mean good special. By Saturday noon, my sisters and I need to have our bedrooms pristine. When Dad inspects our rooms, he is like an army sergeant doing the white-glove test. If anything is out of place, if any clothes are left on the floor, and if your dresser isn’t cleaned off and shiny, you don’t get to go anywhere that day.

34. Literary Concepts 34 That isn’t hard for Margaret. She’s a neat freak. But Chelsea and I are normal, which is the problem – two normal sisters sharing a bedroom. On Monday, we start our separate piles: dirty clothes, wrinkled clothes, clothes we decided not to wear but forgot to hang up. By Wednesday, it’s hard to find the floor. By Friday, the tops of the dressers are loaded. Plus, Mom won’t let us throw everything down the laundry chute. “Sort it,” she says. Usually we have enough time to get our clothes all folded and hung by noon, but last Saturday, Chelsea got sick. She spent the morning in the bathroom. I was left to clean the room alone. I had plans to shop with Jen.

35. Literary Concepts 35 At 10:00, Jen decided she wanted to leave early. I was desperate, so I shoved everything under Chelsea’s bed, dusted the dressers, plumped the pillows, and called Dad for a room check. Dad started his checklist. Everything was okay until Dad got to my closet. He turned and asked, “Where are all your clothes, Sara?” “Dirty,” I confessed. Dad looked around until he spied the clothes under Chelsea’s bed. “Dirty?” he asked.

36. Literary Concepts 36 I winced. “I must have missed those.” “Call Jen. You’re not going shopping today,” he said. By Saturday noon, I was sick right alongside Chelsea. Mom said, “It’s a good thing you didn’t go shopping.” I figured it was just the opposite. If I had gone shopping, I would never have gotten sick.

37. Literary Concepts 37 30. The words in the title “Saturday Noon” are used three times in the story. Why is that time important to Sara? a) Chelsea wanted to go shopping. b) It was the deadline for having her room clean, which determined whether or not she could go out that day. c) It was the time Sara had to have the laundry done. d) It was when she got sick.

38. Literary Concepts 38 31. How is Margaret different from Sara and Chelsea? a) She is older. b) She is younger. c) She is very neat. d) She always goes out on Saturdays.

39. Literary Concepts 39 32. What is the setting of this story? a) Sara’s house b) The mall c) Chicago d) Margaret's room

40. Literary Concepts 40 33. Which of the following is not one of Sara’s excuses for not getting her room clean? a) Sara’s mom will not let her throw clothes down the laundry chute. b) Chelsea got sick and couldn’t help. c) Jen wanted to leave early. d) Her mom should clean her room.

41. Literary Concepts 41 34. What is the story’s plot? a) Sara can’t wait to go shopping. b) Sara knows she needs to have her room clean by Saturday noon, but blames everyone but herself fro her room not being clean. c) Sara allows her laundry to build up. d) Sara’s dad has unrealistic expectations for Sara.

42. Literary Concepts 42 35. Which title below best fits this story? a) The Blame Game b) Cleaning Is Not Normal c) Shopping with Jen d) Laundry Woes

43. 43 Thank You!