Important People

Important People

By: Michael Stahl (ReadWorks)

https://www.readworks.org/article/Important-People/fdf28989-5cc0-47b4-9462-51357bbe47de#!articleTab:content/

The janitor is the person who helps keep the school clean. Every morning students come from all over and walk into the school building. A building can get dirty, especially when a lot of people go into it. The janitor sweeps and mops the floors so that the dirt brought in gets cleaned up.

The teacher is the person who runs the classroom. The teacher helps you learn about different topics and gives you assignments. If you don’t understand something, you can ask the teacher for help.

The principal is the person who is in charge of the whole school. The principal is the leader of the school. The principal is in charge of all the teachers at the school. The principal is the person whom parents call when they want to talk to someone about the school. The principal usually sets high expectations for the students and makes sure that learning is happening in the school.

American schools are in a city or town. The city or town has a leader, too. The leader is usually called the mayor. The mayor is in charge of running the government of the city or town. The mayor works with the people in the city or town and the other people in the government to fix the problems of the city or town. The mayor has a lot of responsibility.

An American city or town is located within a state. Just like a city or town has a leader, a state has a leader, too. The leader of a state is called the governor. An American state is a part of the United States. There are 50 states, and each one has a governor. The person who is the leader of the United States of America is called the president. There have been over forty presidents throughout the course of America’s history. The first president of the United States of America was George Washington. Who is the current president?

Multiple Choice

Who are some of the people described in the passage?

• lawyers, doctors, and bankers

• singers, actors, and dancers

• janitors, teachers, and principals

Multiple Choice

What does the passage list?

• This passage lists some of the different jobs people have.

• This passage lists the mayors of America’s five largest cities.

• This passage lists all the Presidents of the United States.

Multiple Choice

A janitor helps keep a school clean. A teacher helps students learn at school. A principal is in charge of all the teachers at a school.

What can be concluded from this information?

• Principals often work with janitors but do not often work with teachers.

• Many janitors want to become teachers, and many teachers want to become principals.

• People can work in the same place and do different things.

Multiple Choice

Which job mentioned in the article is not a job that involves leadership?

• janitor

• principal

• mayor

Multiple Choice

What is the gist of the passage?

• the responsibilities of janitors and governors

• different people and their jobs

• how a janitor keeps a school clean

Multiple Choice

Read the following sentences: “The city or town has a leader, too. The leader is usually called the mayor. The mayor is in charge of running the government of the city of town.”

What does the word “leader” mean above?

• someone who helps children learn

• someone who has power over other people

• someone who does not get along with other people