Main Idea

Antarctica: Not What You Think

When people think of Antarctica, they think of snow and ice. When they think of deserts, they think of sun, heat, and sand. Yet in spite of its cold temperatures, Antarctica is actually a desert. In fact, it is the largest desert on the planet. A desert is a very dry environment that receives less than ten inches of precipitation yearly. On average, Antarctica gets less than two inches. Most of that precipitation is in the form of snow, but rain or ice can sometimes fall as well.

• Most precipitation in Antarctica is in the form of snow, though it can also get rain or ice.

• Even though Antarctica is cold and has snow, it is a desert.

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Dogs and Wolves

Dogs and wolves are part of the same animal family. Both animals have strong senses of smell and are loyal to their packs. But dogs and wolves are quite different when it comes to people. Dogs are used to living with people and get along well with them. In fact, dogs have been called "man's best friend." Wolves, on the other hand, cannot live with humans. Wolves prefer to live in the wild, where they can hunt for their food. Clearly, dogs belong with people, while wolves do not.

• Dogs are better suited to living with people than wolves are.

• Wolves and dogs are members of the same animal family, so they have many things in common.

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Small Steps to a Happier Planet

Recycling things like paper, plastic, and metal helps the earth by cutting down on trash. Yet many people throw away their newspapers, bottles, and cans instead of recycling them. The question, then, is how to encourage more people to recycle. One way that works is to put recycling containers in more places. Seeing more recycling bins helps people remember to use them. Another way is to teach people why recycling is important. If we make recycling easier and teach people why it matters, more people will join in.

• We can get more people to recycle by putting out more bins and teaching people about why recycling matters.

• We need to get more people to recycle so that we stop throwing out so much trast.

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A New Way to Help the Poor

As the daughter of a wealthy Illinois businessman, Jane Addams did not have to worry about money. However, she was concerned about the poor. During a trip to Europe, Addams visited Toynbee Hall, a settlement house in London. Settlement houses were places offering free services to the poor. Inspired by what she saw in London, Addams opened a settlement house of her own in Chicago in 1889. Hull House was one of the first centers of its kind in the United States. It helped many families who had just arrived from Italy, Germany, Russia, and Greece. The center offered classes, child care, food, and help with finding jobs.

• As a result of her visit to London's Toynbee Hall, Jane Addams founded the first settlement house in Chicago.

• Hull House was one of the first places in the U.S. to offer free child care, classes, and other services to poor families.

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A Symbol of Freedom

Edouard de Laboulaye, a French writer and law professor, admired the freedoms enjoyed in the United States. He supported Abraham Lincoln's freeing of slaves during the Civil War. After the war, in 1865, he suggested that France present a statue to the U.S. The statue was meant to honor Lincoln and American democracy. At that time, the French people had little say in their government. Laboulaye hoped the statue would encourage the French to demand more freedom at home. Work began on the project in 1875. Ten years later, the statue, known as the Statue of Liberty, finally arrived in New York.

• Edouard de Laboulaye wanted the Statue of Liberty to inspire freedom and democracy in France.

• Edouard de Laboulaye came up with the idea for the Statue of Liberty after the American Civil War ended.

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A Woman of Firsts

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was the first woman to be elected as the leader of an African country. As president of Liberia, she made huge improvements in peoples' lives. Before Johnson Sirleaf became president in 2005, Liberia was in debt, and most people didn't have jobs. The country had also been divided by a long war. After Johnson Sirleaf entered office, she asked other countries for help with the debt. She made it possible for more girls to go to school. She also worked for peace in Liberia. Because of the important work she did in Liberia, she won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2011.

• Ellen Johnson Sirleaf worked to give girls the opportunity to go to school.

• Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's work made the lives of many people in Liberia better.

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Rabbits and Hares

Rabbits and hares are part of the same animal family. They both have long ears, short tails, large eyes, and strong teeth. Because they look so similar, rabbits and hares are often mistaken for each other. However, even though rabbits and hares look alike, they have different habits. Rabbits live in large family groups. On the other hand, hares mostly live alone. Rabbits live in underground tunnels and will run underground to hide. In contrast, hares live above the ground. The two animals even eat different kinds of foods. Rabbits like soft foods like grass, while hares prefer harder foods such as bark.

• Rabbits and hares may look alike, but they are actually quite different.

• Animals from the same animal family look alike.

• Rabbits spend a lot of time underground, but hares spend their time above the ground.

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Ride of a Lifetime

In 1977, Sally Ride was a college student at Stanford University. She learned that NASA was inviting women to become astronauts. It was the first time that women were allowed in the space program. Ride had a great interest in exploring space and worked hard to make her dream come true. She beat out thousands of other women to win a spot in the astronaut training program. After completing the difficult training, she became an astronaut. At first she worked on the ground supporting two space shuttle flights. Later she joined the crew of the space shuttle Challenger. She was the youngest crew member and the only female. Finally, in 1983, Sally Ride became the first American woman to fly into space.

• Before 1977, women were not allowed in the space program.

• Sally Ride worked tirelessly to achieve her goal of space flight.

• Sally Ride was a crew member on the Challenger space shuttle.

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Did an Asteroid Kill the Dinosaurs?

What killed the dinosaurs? Many people believe that the dinosaurs were killed when an asteroid hit the earth. An asteroid is a small, rocky object that orbits the sun. However, some scientists now think that the asteroid wasn't the only cause. Some scientists think that there were climate changes before the asteroid hit. They believe that these climate changes killed some animals and plants that dinosaurs needed for food. Also, some scientists believe there may have been harmful gases in the air that killed many dinosaurs. So, when the asteroid hit, it made things even worse for the dinosaurs.

• Scientists know what killed the dinosaurs.

• It may have been more than just an asteroid that caused the dinosaurs to die.

• Dinosaurs may have been killed by gases from volcanoes.

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Working for the Vote

In 1900, Carrie Chapman Catt became president of a women's rights group. The group was called the National American Woman Suffrage Association, or NAWSA. At that time, women weren't allowed to vote. NAWSA was trying to change that. In 1904, Catt left NAWSA to care for her sick husband. By 1915, the group was falling apart. Many of its strongest workers had left. Catt returned as president and became the strong leader the group needed. She won support from state and national leaders. As a result, the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution was passed in 1920. Thanks largely to Catt's skills as a leader, women could finally vote in the United States.

• The National American Woman Suffrage Association faced many challenges in the 1900s.

• The Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote in 1920.

• Carrie Chapman Catt is a big reason that women won the right to vote in the U.S.

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