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Reading Comprehension Workbook
Level 5
Serles Designer
Philip J. Solimene
Editor
Dorothy M. Bogart
Reading Consultant
Sidney J. Rauch, Ed.D.
Professor of Reading and Education
Hofstra University, New York
EDCON
Story Authors
Sandra Fenichel Asher
Sonya Ferraro
Carolyn Gloeckner
Hazel Krantz
Dorothy Kroll
Eleanor Bogan Schwartz
Richard C. Shebelski
Jane Sutton
Copyright © 2014
2012 Inc.
Edcon Copyright
Publishing©Group,
www.edconpublishing.com
Edcon
Publishing Group, Inc.
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CONTENTS
NO.
TITLE
SOMETHING ABOUT THE STORY
STORY
QUESTIONS
1
The Red, White, and Blue
Basketball
Willy wants a new basketball. But
when he finds one, problems come
with it.
1
4
2
The Subway Five
6
9
3
The Grizzly Bear
A group of friends is able to have fun
while leading a crowd out of danger.
The hero of this story lived more than
one hundred years ago. He traveled
across America and had many ex­
citing adventures.
11
14
4
The Origami Plan
Making friends at a strange school
isn’t easy for Yukiko until she thinks
of a good plan.
16
19
5
Old Hats and Old Friends
Things we have liked for a long time
can seem like precious friends. And
no one wants to give up a treasured
friend.
21
24
6
The Shirt Off Billy’s Back
26
29
7
Star-Shaped Spaceship
Billy is sure that his favorite shirt
brings him good luck. Then he makes
an important discovery.
Three visitors from a distant planet
provide new experiences for Eddie.
31
34
8
A Day in the Life of a
Gypsy Boy
36
39
9
Venice — A City Choking
on Dirty Air
Steven is proud to belong to a group
that has its own ways and customs.
Factories make many things that we
enjoy. Sometimes, factories make
problems.
Jenny does not agree with her
parents about what a “young lady”
should do.
41
44
46
49
10
No Place for a Girl
Key Words......................................
Comprehension Check
Answer Key.............................
Vocabulary Check
Answer Key.............................
51
53
55
E-1
The Red, White, And Blue Basketball
Learn the Key Words
boss
(bos, bos)
a person who tells workers what to do
The boss told the men to work faster.
ceiling
(sé' ling)
the inside top of a room
The light was hanging from the middle of the ceiling.
clumsy
(klum' zè)
not moving smoothly; awkward
The clumsy student tripped.
effort
(ef' ә rt)
the act of trying hard
He made an effort to climb the mountain.
member
(mem' bәr)
one who belongs to a particular group
She is a member o f the Girl Scouts.
purchase
(pèr' chәs)
buy
You can purchase salt at the supermarket.
Preview:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Read
Look
Read
Then
the title.
at the picture.
the first paragraph of the story.
answer the following question.
You learned from your preview that
____ a. Willy’s father was a teacher.
____ b. Willy had a birthday last week.
____ c. Willy was thirteen years old.
____ d. Willy wanted a new basketball.
Turn to the Comprehension Check on page 4 for the right answer.
Now read the story.
Read to find out how Willy made a new friend.
1
E-1
The Red, White,
And Blue Basketball
That basketball is exactly the kind that Willy wants to own.
Willy was in a bad mood. As
he headed toward First Avenue,
he kicked at every stone in sight.
Things were different at home
since his father had lost his job at
the factory. The boss had said
that there just wasn’t enough
work for everyone. Two months
had passed, and Willy’s father
was still without a job. With
Willy’s eleventh birthday a week
away, he knew he wouldn’t get
that basketball he wanted. With
anger, he kicked at another
stone.
Willy arrived at First Avenue,
a beautiful street with tall trees
2
and neatly painted houses. Being
here always made Willy feel
good.
The new automobile parked in
front of the Miller house caught
his attention. Bending forward to
examine its black racing stripe,
Willy noticed something on the
sidewalk next to the car. It was a
new basketball— a red, white,
and blue basketball, just like the
one he had wanted for his
birthday.
Gently, Willy lifted the ball
from the sidewalk. ''The Millers
have grown children. This can't
belong to th e m ," he told
himself. Willy’s heart pounded
as he looked quickly up and
down First Avenue and saw no
one was around. “ Might as well
take this home,’’ he decided.
After supper, Willy rested on
his bed and tossed the basketball
toward the ceiling. His sixteenyear-old brother, Roy, entered the
room. “ Don’t break anything.
I t ’s my room t o o , " Roy
reminded him.
“ Where did you get that
anyway?” asked Roy, admiring
the basketball.
Willy told him.
'' Did you make an effort to
E-1
locate the ball’s owner?” asked
Roy.
“ Let the owner make an effort
to locate m e,” replied Willy,
still tossing the ball toward the
ceiling.
“ You don’t really mean that,
Willy,” said Roy. “ You have
something that doesn’t belong to
you, and that’s like stealing.”
Willy kept his eyes on the
spinning colors of the basketball.
He didn’t want to look at his
brother just then.
“ I never thought of it that
w a y , ” W illy said sadly.
“ Maybe I could go to the lost
and found counter at school to
see if someone reported one
missing.” Willy glanced at his
brother, and let the ball drop onto
his bed.
“ Why not leave a note at the
lost and found?’ ’ suggested Roy,
watching Willy carefully.
Willy grumbled, “ If I do,
everyone in school might claim
it.”
Roy answered, “ Not if you
ask them to describe it and tell
you where it was lost.”
Willy knew that his brother
was right about making an effort
to find the owner, but giving up
the basketball would not be easy.
He wanted so much to keep it.
“ All r ig h t ,” he agreed
finally, ‘i ’ll write the note
tomorrow. ’ ’
The next day, Roy called to
Willy, “ Someone named Greg
Evans wants to talk to you on the
telephone about the basketball. ’ ’
‘‘Greg Evans, that rich kid?”
snarled Willy. “ His parents
could buy him a dozen
basketballs. Besides, he’s so
clumsy he trips over his own
feet. What would he do with a
basketball?”
Roy recognized the hurt in
Willy’s voice and suggested
gendy, “ Maybe it isn’t his
ball.”
“ Do you want to bet?” asked
Willy, walking slowly to the
telephone. “ Hello, G reg,” he
said.
“ I saw your note, Willy. Was
it a red, white, and blue
basketball? I lost mine on First
Avenue yesterday,” explained
Greg.
Willy couldn’t answer right
away. He swallowed hard. “ I
guess it’s your basketball,
G reg.”
“ I ’m so glad you’re the one
whofound it, W illy,” saidGreg.
“ I could never find the courage
to speak to you before because I
know how good you are at
sports. But now that you found
my ball. . . . ” Greg paused.
“ Willy,” Greg began again,
“ do you think you could come to
my house and play basketball
with me? I mean, could you help
me stop being so clumsy? I ’d like
to be a member of the team .”
As much as Willy wanted to
be angry at Greg, he couldn’t.
After all, Greg was trying to be
his friend.
"Basketball is easy when you
know how ,” answered Willy.
“ Would you come to my
house sometime and shoot
baskets with me?” asked Greg.
“ We have a basketball hoop on
our garage.”
“ You do? Sure, I'll come right
over,” said Willy, surprised at
his own reply. “ And, Greg, I’ll
bring your basketball.”
Willy hung up the telephone.
Roy, surprised by his
brother’s cheerful mood, asked,
“ Isn’t that his ball?”
“ Sure, i t ’s his b a l l , ”
answered Willy, “ but I was
wrong about Greg-. He’s a nice
kid.”
“ So are you,” added Roy,
proudly.
Willy smiled and took the
basketball off his bed. “ Roy,
I’m going to find a job in the
neighborhood after school and
purchase my own basketball. I
could even help out until Dad’s
boss calls him back to work.”
“ I ’m proud to have you as a
member of this family,” said
Roy, smiling. “ Now I can tell
you my surprise. I saved some
money from my after school
earnings for your birthday. Use it
to purchase your basketball a
little sooner.”
G rin n in g , W illy stated,
“ Thanks a lot!” and bounced the
basketball across the room to
Roy.
“ You’re welcome, and you
deserve i t , ” replied Roy,
slamming the red, white, and
blue basketball back at Willy.
Willy caught it easily and headed
for Greg’s house.
3
E-1
The Red, White, And Blue Basketball
COMPREHENSION CHECK
Preview Answer:
d. Willy wanted a new basketball.
Choose the best answer.
1. Willy was not getting a basketball for his
birthday because
__ _a. he felt sorry for himself.
__ _b. his parents could not afford one.
__ _c. he was selfish.
__ _d. his parents were selfish.
2. Willy liked to walk on First Avenue because
__ a. it made him feel good.
__ b. he liked to look at cars.
__ c. he always found things there.
__ d. it was far from home.
3. Willy found the basketball
__ a. near Greg’s house.
__ b. near his school.
__ c. near an automobile.
__ d. on Fifth Avenue.
6. Greg found out Willy had his basketball because
__ a. Willy put up a note at school.
__ b. Roy told him.
__ c. the Millers told him.
__ d. he saw Willy take it.
.7
When
Greg telephoned, Willy realized that
__ a. playing basketball was a waste of time.
__ b. he wanted to be Greg's friend.
__ c. brown basketballs are better than colored
ones.
__ d. he could find another basketball
somewhere.
8. Willy decided to get his own basketball by
__ a. going to First Avenue again.
__ b. asking Roy for the money.
__ c. asking Greg if he had Another one.
__ d. getting a job and saving money for one.
4. Roy told Willy
__ _a. to keep the basketball.
__ _b. to call the Millers.
__ _c. to try to find the owner.
__ _d. to ask for a reward.
9 . Another name for this story could be
__ a. “First Avenue.”
__ b. “Finders Keepers.”
__ c. ‘Whose Ball is This?”
__ d. “Family Problems.”
5. Willy realized that keeping the basketball
was like
__ a. cheating.
__ b. lying.
__ c. being mean.
__ d. stealing.
10. This
__
__
__
__
story is mainly about
a. doing the right thing.
b. being poor.
c. finding basketballs.
d. fighting with your brother.
Check your answers w ith the Key on page 53.
Idea starter: How did Greg feel when he lost his basketball?
This page may be reproduced for classroom use.
4
E-1
The Red, White, And Blue Basketball
VOCABULARY CHECK
I.
Complete each sentence by writing in the correct key word from the box below.
boss
ceiling
clumsy
effort
member
purchase
1.
My bedroom __________________________ has a crack in it.
2.
We have a n e w __________________________ in our club.
3.
The fa c to ry __________________________ often works late.
4.
We plan t o __________________________ a new car next month.
5.
T h e __________________________ puppy spilled its water bowl.
6.
Swimming a mile was a g re a t__________________________ for her.
II.
Each of the following sentences has two key words next to each other. Underline the key word that
belongs in the sentence.
1.
The (boss, member) took my father’s job away.
2.
Greg was (member, clumsy) at basketball.
3.
Roy asked Willy to make the (purchase, effort) to find the basketball’s owner.
4.
Willy tossed the basketball toward the (ceiling, clumsy).
5.
His parents could not (purchase, boss) the basketball.
6.
Roy was a (member, effort) of W illy’s family.
Check your answers with the key on page 55.
This page may be reproduced for classroom use.
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