1. What obstacles do we face in our daily lives?
Get Ready to Read
What obstacles do we face in our daily lives?
Look back at Morning Traffic.
What obstacles does David face during his day at home?
How does your attitude affect the way you deal with obstacles?
Tell about an obstacle you once faced that turned out to be a good thing after all.
How can learning to solve small problems prepare you for life’s major challenges?
What can you learn by dealing with a catastrophe?

2. Use the following amazing words in sentences: Disorganization
Get Ready to Read
Use the following amazing words in sentences:
Disorganization
Inevitable
Complication
Befallen
Bewilderment
Catastrophe
Miscellaneous
Speculate
Trivial
Weather-beaten

3. Look at page 450. Read the section about drawing conclusions.
Read and Comprehend
Look at page Read the section about drawing conclusions.
Reread the first four paragraphs on page What facts help you draw a conclusion about how Gabe feels about Karen’s leaving for work?
Draw a conclusion about Karen’s opinion about this Peruvian tenor. How did you draw this conclusion?
Gabe lost something important, but he doesn’t what his wife to know. What would you do?
Why is Gil leaning out the window? Think about cell phones and other ways of communicating. If you couldn’t place an important call on the cell phone, how else might you communicate with another person?

4. Look at disapprovingly on page 464.
Read and Comprehend
Look at disapprovingly on page 464.
As David puts his hand on apiece, Gil grunts disapprovingly. When David moves his hand to another piece, Gil nods approvingly.
How do antonyms help you understand disapprovingly?
They rummage through the apartment instead of searching carefully for the ticket.
Which antonym helps you determine the meaning of rummage?
Why does Gabe offer to pay the Flower Guy extra money to help him find the lost concert ticket?
Think back to the selection When Marian Sang. Do you think that Marian Anderson faced some of the same kinds of problems in her daily life as those in Morning Traffic?
If you were Joanna, would you return to David’s home another day to play chess? Why or why not?

5. What is the conflict in this story?
Read and Comprehend
Look at The Rock Wall.
Read paragraph 7. What conclusion can you draw about how Michael feels? What facts or details help you?
What is the conflict in this story?
Circle the word massive in paragraph 1. Look for an underline an antonym to help you find the meaning of massive. What does the word massive mean?
At first, Michael tries to avoid climbing the rock wall because of his fear. Based on your feelings, what conclusion can you draw about what you would do in Michael’s situation?

6. Add a prepositional phrase to these sentences:
Language Arts
Prepositions
A preposition shows a relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in a sentence.
A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and usually ends with a noun or pronoun.
The noun or pronoun in a prepositional phrase is called the object of the preposition.
Add a prepositional phrase to these sentences:
Ben climbed the rock wall _________________________________________________
Michael left his helmet _____________________________________________________
Ben walked back to the cabin _________________________________________________