Every day after work Paul took his muddy boots off on the steps of the front porch. Alice would have a fit if the boots made it so far as the welcome mat. He then took off his dusty overalls and threw them into a plastic garbage bag; Alice left a new garbage bag tied to the porch railing for him every morning. On his way in the house, he dropped the garbage bag off at the washing machine and went straight up the stairs to the shower as he was instructed. He would eat dinner with her after he was "presentable," as Alice had often said.

What type of person is Alice?

Michael woke up with a start. Someone was banging at the front door. Heavy footsteps clomped over the bare boards of the hallway. A shouting of voices. Jackob's familiar growl, then the front door slammed shut. Michael shivered and pulled the thin blanket closer around his shoulders. Through the cracked glass of the curtainless window, the sky looked gray and dirty. A groan from the other mattress told him that Toby was awake as well.

What can you infer about the place they are living?

Michael woke up with a start. Someone was banging at the front door. Heavy footsteps clomped over the bare boards of the hallway. A shouting of voices. Jackob's familiar growl, then the front door slammed shut. Michael shivered and pulled the thin blanket closer around his shoulders. Through the cracked glass of the curtainless window, the sky looked gray and dirty. A groan from the other mattress told him that Toby was awake as well.

What can you infer about Jacko's mood?

Cassie rolled over in her bed as she felt the sunlight hit her face. The sun was warming the back of her neck when she slowly realized that it was a Thursday, and she felt a little too good for a Thursday. Struggling to open her eyes, she looked up at the clock. "9:48," she shouted, "Holy cow!"

Cassie jumped out of bed, threw on the first outfit that she grabbed, brushed her teeth, threw her books into her backpack, and then ran out the door.

Can you explain what is happening in the text?

Many breeds of dogs are used for work. In many cultures dogs are used to herd sheep. The dogs keep the flock from being attacked by animals such as wolves. Sheepdogs are known for their loyalty and gentleness.

Based on the text, you can infer that:

Macey's mom noticed that she was squinting as she read her book, which was only a few inches away from her face. She scheduled a doctor's appointment for the next week, and when the doctor said Macey needed glasses, she tried on every single pair in the office. After spending an hour looking at glasses, mom suggested that perhaps she should sleep on it and come back and decide in the morning. Macey agreed, but she kept talking about the pros and cons of each pair all night long.

What can you infer about Macey?

Joshua went into the backyard to play on the swing set. His new puppy, Rascal,ran beside him. As Joshua was running toward the play area, he twisted his ankle.The accident caused him a lot of pain. Joshua’s dad was always doing yard work and making sure that the grass was perfectly cut and the ground was even.Certainly, he would have noticed that hole and filled it up. Neither Joshua nor his father could figure out how that hole appeared.Who or what do you think caused the hole?

Rosario was enjoying her vacation in the California sun. She was lying on a raft in the ocean. This was perfect, Rosario thought. There was no noise—no children screaming, no horns honking—and there were no papers to grade. All she could hear was the crashing of the waves onto the beach. Rosario sighed and looked around her at the beauty of the ocean. Then she saw something long and gray coming toward her on an approaching wave. She thought: “This could only be one thing!” and started yelling for help. She paddled back to shore as quickly as she could. She made it to the shore in one piece , but she realized that many people were laughing at her.

We can infer that Rosario is