Reading 3.1

Flowers for Dinner

Flowers might look pretty on the dinner table. But what about serving them for dinner? In many cultures all around the world, people eat and enjoy different flowers in a variety of dishes.

The purple flowers of the lavender plant add a sweet lemon taste to chocolate cake or ice cream. Pansies, which have a grassy flavor, are a delicious addition to green salads. Bright yellow dandelion petals look cheerful when sprinkled over rice. Squash blossoms can be fried or stuffed with cheese. And the flowers of plants such as jasmine and chamomile are commonly used to make tea.

Does snacking on flowers sound weird? You may have eaten flowers already without realizing it! Several vegetables, such as cauliflower and broccoli, are actually flower buds. Broccoli forms tiny yellow blossoms as it continues to grow. Artichokes, if left on their stalks, form fuzzy purple blooms. And asparagus tips open into small, pale green or white flowers.

If you’re interested in eating flowers, be sure to learn about the plants first. Not every flower is safe to eat. The best way to find a tasty—and safe—flower is to visit your local grocery store.

How are broccoli and lavender similar?

• Both have a lemon taste.

• Both are flowering plants.

• Both are used for tea.

• Both have yellow flowers.

Flowers for Dinner

Flowers might look pretty on the dinner table. But what about serving them for dinner? In many cultures all around the world, people eat and enjoy different flowers in a variety of dishes.

The purple flowers of the lavender plant add a sweet lemon taste to chocolate cake or ice cream. Pansies, which have a grassy flavor, are a delicious addition to green salads. Bright yellow dandelion petals look cheerful when sprinkled over rice. Squash blossoms can be fried or stuffed with cheese. And the flowers of plants such as jasmine and chamomile are commonly used to make tea.

Does snacking on flowers sound weird? You may have eaten flowers already without realizing it! Several vegetables, such as cauliflower and broccoli, are actually flower buds. Broccoli forms tiny yellow blossoms as it continues to grow. Artichokes, if left on their stalks, form fuzzy purple blooms. And asparagus tips open into small, pale green or white flowers.

If you’re interested in eating flowers, be sure to learn about the plants first. Not every flower is safe to eat. The best way to find a tasty—and safe—flower is to visit your local grocery store.

Why should you learn about a plant before eating its flower?

• to make sure the flower is safe to eat

• to find out how to serve the flower

• to learn more about other cultures

• to find out how the flower tastes

Flowers for Dinner

Flowers might look pretty on the dinner table. But what about serving them for dinner? In many cultures all around the world, people eat and enjoy different flowers in a variety of dishes.

The purple flowers of the lavender plant add a sweet lemon taste to chocolate cake or ice cream. Pansies, which have a grassy flavor, are a delicious addition to green salads. Bright yellow dandelion petals look cheerful when sprinkled over rice. Squash blossoms can be fried or stuffed with cheese. And the flowers of plants such as jasmine and chamomile are commonly used to make tea.

Does snacking on flowers sound weird? You may have eaten flowers already without realizing it! Several vegetables, such as cauliflower and broccoli, are actually flower buds. Broccoli forms tiny yellow blossoms as it continues to grow. Artichokes, if left on their stalks, form fuzzy purple blooms. And asparagus tips open into small, pale green or white flowers.

If you’re interested in eating flowers, be sure to learn about the plants first. Not every flower is safe to eat. The best way to find a tasty—and safe—flower is to visit your local grocery store.

What is the main idea of the third paragraph?

• Eating flowers is weird

• Plants produce flowers of different colors.

• Some vegetables are flower buds.

• The flowers of some plants are used for teas.

Flowers for Dinner

Flowers might look pretty on the dinner table. But what about serving them for dinner? In many cultures all around the world, people eat and enjoy different flowers in a variety of dishes.

The purple flowers of the lavender plant add a sweet lemon taste to chocolate cake or ice cream. Pansies, which have a grassy flavor, are a delicious addition to green salads. Bright yellow dandelion petals look cheerful when sprinkled over rice. Squash blossoms can be fried or stuffed with cheese. And the flowers of plants such as jasmine and chamomile are commonly used to make tea.

Does snacking on flowers sound weird? You may have eaten flowers already without realizing it! Several vegetables, such as cauliflower and broccoli, are actually flower buds. Broccoli forms tiny yellow blossoms as it continues to grow. Artichokes, if left on their stalks, form fuzzy purple blooms. And asparagus tips open into small, pale green or white flowers.

If you’re interested in eating flowers, be sure to learn about the plants first. Not every flower is safe to eat. The best way to find a tasty—and safe—flower is to visit your local grocery store.

What is the main idea of the passage?

• Many flowers can be eaten.

• Flowers are often eaten with dessert.

• Many people eat flowers without realizing it.

• Flowers are tastier than vegetables.

Crazy Contests

When you think about competitions, you probably think of sports such as basketball and football. Not all serious competitive events are athletic, though. One example is the Rock Paper Scissors World Championship, in which contestants compete for large cash prizes.

Rock Paper Scissors is a simple game between two players. Each player counts to three and then “throws” one hand forward, making one of three hand signals. A first means “rock,” a flat hand means “paper,” and two extended fingers in a V shape means “scissors.” Rock wins against scissors, scissors wins against paper, and paper wins against rock. Although the game is simple, many players claim that they have developed complex strategies for winning.

Some people might consider a Rock Paper Scissors contest to be strange. Around the world, though, people compete in many events that others think are crazy. In England, a 200-year-old competition sends hundreds of people running down a hill, chasing a giant wheel of cheese. In Finland, hopeful guitar heroes compete in the Air Guitar World Championships by strumming invisible guitars in front of an audience. Wales hosts the yearly World Bog Snorkelling Championships, in which contestants wear silly costumes—dressed, for example, like a mermaid or an octopus—and swim through dark, stinky bog water as the crowd cheers.

These competitions are just a few of the crazy games that people play around the world. With some practice and training, maybe you could be a prize-winner in one of those contests yourself!

The passage is mainly about ........

• playing Rock Paper Scissors

• playing sports around the world

• unusual competitions

• popular ways for people to compete

Crazy Contests

When you think about competitions, you probably think of sports such as basketball and football. Not all serious competitive events are athletic, though. One example is the Rock Paper Scissors World Championship, in which contestants compete for large cash prizes.

Rock Paper Scissors is a simple game between two players. Each player counts to three and then “throws” one hand forward, making one of three hand signals. A first means “rock,” a flat hand means “paper,” and two extended fingers in a V shape means “scissors.” Rock wins against scissors, scissors wins against paper, and paper wins against rock. Although the game is simple, many players claim that they have developed complex strategies for winning.

Some people might consider a Rock Paper Scissors contest to be strange. Around the world, though, people compete in many events that others think are crazy. In England, a 200-year-old competition sends hundreds of people running down a hill, chasing a giant wheel of cheese. In Finland, hopeful guitar heroes compete in the Air Guitar World Championships by strumming invisible guitars in front of an audience. Wales hosts the yearly World Bog Snorkelling Championships, in which contestants wear silly costumes—dressed, for example, like a mermaid or an octopus—and swim through dark, stinky bog water as the crowd cheers.

These competitions are just a few of the crazy games that people play around the world. With some practice and training, maybe you could be a prize-winner in one of those contests yourself!

Where do the competitions mentioned in this passage occur? .........

• mainly in England

• all over the world

• only in Europe

• wherever people do not play basketball

Crazy Contests

When you think about competitions, you probably think of sports such as basketball and football. Not all serious competitive events are athletic, though. One example is the Rock Paper Scissors World Championship, in which contestants compete for large cash prizes.

Rock Paper Scissors is a simple game between two players. Each player counts to three and then “throws” one hand forward, making one of three hand signals. A first means “rock,” a flat hand means “paper,” and two extended fingers in a V shape means “scissors.” Rock wins against scissors, scissors wins against paper, and paper wins against rock. Although the game is simple, many players claim that they have developed complex strategies for winning.

Some people might consider a Rock Paper Scissors contest to be strange. Around the world, though, people compete in many events that others think are crazy. In England, a 200-year-old competition sends hundreds of people running down a hill, chasing a giant wheel of cheese. In Finland, hopeful guitar heroes compete in the Air Guitar World Championships by strumming invisible guitars in front of an audience. Wales hosts the yearly World Bog Snorkelling Championships, in which contestants wear silly costumes—dressed, for example, like a mermaid or an octopus—and swim through dark, stinky bog water as the crowd cheers.

These competitions are just a few of the crazy games that people play around the world. With some practice and training, maybe you could be a prize-winner in one of those contests yourself!

The author probably thinks that the contests are strange because......

• they have no rules

• they are dangerous

• cash prizes are small

• the activities are silly

Crazy Contests

When you think about competitions, you probably think of sports such as basketball and football. Not all serious competitive events are athletic, though. One example is the Rock Paper Scissors World Championship, in which contestants compete for large cash prizes.

Rock Paper Scissors is a simple game between two players. Each player counts to three and then “throws” one hand forward, making one of three hand signals. A first means “rock,” a flat hand means “paper,” and two extended fingers in a V shape means “scissors.” Rock wins against scissors, scissors wins against paper, and paper wins against rock. Although the game is simple, many players claim that they have developed complex strategies for winning.

Some people might consider a Rock Paper Scissors contest to be strange. Around the world, though, people compete in many events that others think are crazy. In England, a 200-year-old competition sends hundreds of people running down a hill, chasing a giant wheel of cheese. In Finland, hopeful guitar heroes compete in the Air Guitar World Championships by strumming invisible guitars in front of an audience. Wales hosts the yearly World Bog Snorkelling Championships, in which contestants wear silly costumes—dressed, for example, like a mermaid or an octopus—and swim through dark, stinky bog water as the crowd cheers.

These competitions are just a few of the crazy games that people play around the world. With some practice and training, maybe you could be a prize-winner in one of those contests yourself!

How are the contests mentioned in the passage similar to basketball, football, or other sports?

• They all involve competition.

• They all require physical strength.

• None offer prizes to winners.

• None are entertaining.

Cockroach Fun Facts

When you think of interesting animals, you probably don’t picture the common cockroach. However, although this insect isn’t very pretty, it is pretty amazing.

Cockroaches are good at getting around. They can squeeze into very tight spaces, which comes in handy when they want to go through cracks in walls. A baby cockroach can flatten itself as thin as a dime. They’re fast-moving bugs, too. Traveling at three miles an hour, a cockroach can easily scurry out of the way of looming feet or bug swatters.

Cockroaches are also tough. They can survive a month without food and a week without water. They can even survive for weeks without a head! Next time you see a cockroach, show some respect for this common household pest. After all, the species has been around far longer than people—more than 280 million years, by some estimates. Now that’s an old bug!

What main idea is supported by the fact that a cockroach can survive without its head?

• Cockroaches are fast-moving.

• Cockroaches are tough.

• Cockroaches are common pests.

• Cockroaches are smart.

Cockroach Fun Facts

When you think of interesting animals, you probably don’t picture the common cockroach. However, although this insect isn’t very pretty, it is pretty amazing.

Cockroaches are good at getting around. They can squeeze into very tight spaces, which comes in handy when they want to go through cracks in walls. A baby cockroach can flatten itself as thin as a dime. They’re fast-moving bugs, too. Traveling at three miles an hour, a cockroach can easily scurry out of the way of looming feet or bug swatters.

Cockroaches are also tough. They can survive a month without food and a week without water. They can even survive for weeks without a head! Next time you see a cockroach, show some respect for this common household pest. After all, the species has been around far longer than people—more than 280 million years, by some estimates. Now that’s an old bug!

The passage compares a baby cockroach to a dime to show............

• the speed of baby cockroaches

• the round shape of baby cockroaches

• the thinness of baby cockroaches

• the color of baby cockroaches