Allergy

8

Spectrum Reading Grade 7

What food allergies are most common and what
happens when people consume food they are
allergic to?

1As Georgia’s scout troop gathers to plan
their meals for the upcoming hike through
Pennsylvania, Jessica yells excitedly, “Of course
we’ll need trail mix!”

2The other girls laugh, but Georgia groans
inwardly . She knows she has to once again
educate her friends about her peanut allergy .
Having a severe allergic reaction on the
trail—in the middle of nowhere—would be a
catastrophe .

3Luckily, their scout leader, Michelle, is
prepared to negotiate the issue . “Trail mix sounds
like a great idea, but we’ll have to be careful
to keep everyone in mind as we’re planning
our meals . Georgia is allergic to peanuts, and
Angela is allergic to eggs .”

4Georgia’s head snaps up to look at Angela .
She didn’t know another girl in their troop had
allergies .

5“Yeah, sorry,” says Angela . “I don’t mean
to cause problems, but when I eat eggs, I
have serious physical reactions . My mouth
and lips swell right away . I can actually go
into anaphylaxis, which means I have trouble
breathing because my throat swells up, my
blood pressure drops, and I might even pass out .
Eggs make me feel really sick to my stomach,
too .”

6Michelle adds, “We’ll definitely leave eggs
and peanuts off the menu, but we’ll have to be
very careful about the ingredients in all the foods
we take with us . Sometimes foods have eggs
or peanuts listed as ingredients, and you never
would have guessed they would be in there .”

7“For me,” explains Georgia, “it’s always best
if a product notes right on the packaging that
it was made in a peanut-free facility . Even the
tiniest trace of peanuts immediately stuffs up my
nose and makes it hard for me to breathe, and
I start wheezing . My body also swells, and I get
covered with big raised bumps called hives . I
really don’t want this to happen to me when we
are a day’s hike away from the nearest town .”

8“So, this will be a challenge,” Jessica says
thoughtfully, “but we can do it . Let’s get started
on our menus! I wish I knew more about food
allergies now, though .”

9“I’ve been reading about allergies,” replies
Michelle . “An allergic reaction happens because
the body thinks certain foods are trying to harm
it . The most common allergens are eggs, fish,
milk, tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish, soy, and wheat .
Most allergens are proteins . Let’s get our menu
finished, and then we can talk some more about
food allergies . This is an important conversation,
because we have to be prepared to handle
any emergency we encounter on the trail .
Allergic reactions are definitely among these
emergencies that could come up .”

10Jessica whips out a pen . Poised to write, she
asks the girls, “What would you like in your trail
mix, then?”

11“Definitely not peanuts . Or hard-boiled
eggs,” Rachel declares and giggles at the
thought of hard-boiled eggs in their trail mix .
Georgia breathes a huge sigh of relief, because
her friends are happily embracing the challenge
to make sure everyone stays healthy on their
hike . Now that she doesn’t have to worry about
annoying everyone in her troop, her mind turns
to wondering if her friends might like cranberries
in their trail mix, like she does .

12After the menus are finally completed, Erin,
who is usually the quietest in the group, begins
bouncing excitedly in her seat . “You know,” she
says, “we came up with a much better menu
than we would have if you guys didn’t have
allergies . We are going to have an amazing time
and eat some amazing food, too!”

13Everyone smiles as they nod their heads in
agreement .

Take a Hike, Allergies!

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9

Spectrum Reading Grade 7

1. Sometimes authors have more than one purpose for writing a text . Did this text have more
than one purpose? Explain your answer .

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2. What was Georgia allergic to? Place a checkmark on the line of the correct answer .

_______ cranberries

_______ peanuts

_______ eggs

_______ milk

3. What is anaphylaxis? Use context clues from the text for your answer .

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4. What is the conflict in this story? How is it resolved?

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5. Who is Michelle? Place a checkmark on the line of the correct answer .

_______ Georgia’s best friend

_______ scout leader

_______ the girl who is allergic to eggs

_______ Angela’s mother

6. What steps could you take to help a friend or classmate with a severe food allergy stay
healthy and safe?

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______________________________________________________________________________________

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NAME

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