Unknown Words Task Cards

Dorothy summons the Winged Monkeys. When the finally come she tells them to carry her and Toto home. But they explain they can't cross the desert surrounding Oz. One of the soldiers tells Dorothy that Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, may be able to help. So Dorothy and her friends begin their journey to see Glinda. On the way, the Lion defeats a giant spider. It was terrorizing the animals in a forest. They ask him to become their king. He agrees

to return after helping Dorothy. Dorothy calls the Winged Monkeys again to fly them over the hill to Glinda's castle. Glinda greets them. She reveals that Dorothy's silver shoes can take her anywhere she wishes to go. She embraces her friends. Dorothy takes Toto in her arms. She knocks her heels together three times and wishes to return home. Instantly, she begins whirling through the air. Soon rolling on the grass of the Kansas prairie. She runs to Aunt Em, saying, "I'm so glad to be home again!"

What is the meaning of summons as it is used in the passage?

• to appear before

• to request a favor

• call someone to help you

• be in need of help

On her way down the yellow brick road, Dorothy first frees a Scarecrow. He was stuck hanging on a pole. She then applies oil to the rusted joints of a Tin Man. Finally, she meets a Cowardly Lion. Along the way, she learns the Scarecrow wants a brain. The Tin Man wants a heart. The Cowardly Lion wants courage. Dorothy asks them to come with her to Emerald City. They can ask for help from the Wizard. After several adventures, the travelers arrive. They meet the Guardian of the Gates. He asks them to wear green-tinted glasses. These will protect their eyes from being blinded by the city's brilliance.

Why is the author's description of the brilliant city important?

• It shows the city is different

• It shows that the city is dangerous

• It shows that the city is rich

There are 12,000 different types of ants living today. Each one might have a different job in the ant colony. One job is food collection. Ants eat many types of food. Species like the meat-eater ant eat meat. This can come from other dead animals. Many ants eat other foods like honey and fruits. Leafcutter ants actually "grow" their food. They do this by gathering leaves. They then cut them into pieces that grow fungus. The ants then harvest and eat this fungus.

What does species mean as it is used in the passage?

• The order of animals

• A family of animals

• Insects that live a similar life

• A group of similar animals

The surface we see on Jupiter is not solid. This enormous planet has a relatively small, solid, and a rocky core. Liquids and gases surround this core and blend with the atmosphere. Jupiter is a cloudy, windy, and stormy planet. A layer of clouds always covers it. Wind speeds of 273 miles per hour are not uncommon. The storms are visible as swirls, bands, and spots. It has one particularly violent storm you can see. This storm is about three times Earth's diameter. It is known as the Great Red Spot. This storm has been in existence since at least 1831. Maybe even since 1665. If the storm has existed since 1665, that would make it more than 300 years old!

What does visible mean as it is used in the passage?

• Uncovered

• Very Clear

• Able to see

• Bright

A poor hardworking shoemaker and his wife need money to pay the rent. He gives away the last pair of shoes he has to a disadvantaged lady. He has leather to make one more pair of shoes. He cuts out the pieces of leather before going to bed so that he can sew them into a pair of shoes in the morning. Three elves come in the night and make the pair of shoes which he sells for more than his asking price. He uses that money to pay the rent, buy food, and more leather. He feeds a poor traveler. He has just enough money to buy enough leather for two pairs of shoes.

What does the word disadvantaged show about the lady?

• She is mean

• She is poor

• She is humble

• She is weak

Once upon a time, a beautiful princess lived. She was the prettiest of three sisters. Her beauty made the sun stop to shine upon her. One day she met a frog. He helped her after she dropped her golden ball into a pond. The Frog Prince recovered the ball for her in exchange for her friendship. The princess agreed reluctantly and unhappily to be his friend. Later the Frog Prince magically transformed into a handsome prince. The frog's spell was broken when the frog spent the night on the princess's pillow.

What does the word reluctantly show about the Princess’s attitude toward the Frog Prince?

• The princess thinks he is gross

• The princess hates hime

• The princess is very willing

• The princess has better things to do

Animals need to cover their bodies in special ways. Body coverings protect an animal's organs. It protects their bones and muscles from their environment. Animals need protection from harmful things like harsh sunlight, bumps, and scratches. A warm, furry body protects a polar bear in the Arctic. At the same time, a scaly body protects an armadillo. Animals need to blend into their environment. They need to hide from predators. They camouflage themselves to stop prey from seeing them.

What does blend mean as it is used in the passage?

• make the environment seem bigger

• change the color or appearance

• to hide in the trees or plants

• look similar to the environment

When airplanes were yet to be invented, the only way to soar through the sky was to ride in a hot-air balloon. A hot air balloon is just like those you ride in amusement parks. They work the same way: using the differences in density to hurl the balloon up. How exactly? Did you know that a hot-air balloon has to be heated before it flies? This is because the particles inside the balloon are just as dense as the particles outside the balloon at the beginning. However, as soon as the particles are heated, they move more quickly, and as they bump into each other more often, they become less close together. As less close together things float, the balloon will rise.

What does hurl mean as it is used in the passage?

• Throw

• Push

• Hit

• Drive

Once upon a time there was a little girl called Lucie, who lived at a farm called Little-town. She was a good little girl—only she was careless! One day little Lucie came into the farmyard crying—oh, she did cry so! "I've lost my mittens! Three mittens! Have YOU seen them, Tabby Kitten?” The Kitten went on washing her white paws; so Lucie asked a speckled hen— "Sally Henny-penny, has YOU found three mittens?” But the speckled hen ran into a barn, clucking—"I go barefoot, barefoot, barefoot!” AND then Lucie asked the Robin sitting on a twig. The Robin looked sideways at Lucie with his bright black eye, and he flew over a stile and away.

What does the author mean by saying Lucie was careless?

• Lucie was a difficult child

• Lucie did not care about things

• Lucie misplaced things

Tails help an animal to move and swing. Monkeys, for example, balance in the trees, and kangaroos use their tails to balance while they jump. Crocodiles use their tails to spin them around and around when they need to catch their prey, while scorpions often have poison in their tails. Beavers use their powerful tails to pat ground down hard and solid. Almost all fish use their tails for swimming and to steer their movement. Whales, dolphins, sharks, and many others use their tail as a sort of rudder to steer them in a certain direction. Birds' tails are very important for steering as well.

What does steer mean as it is used in the passage?

• Make swimming easier

• Increase movement

• Change direction

• Guide one's movment