Steel is a very important metal which is used for many things. In the U.S., the automobile industry uses the most steel. Steel is used to put up buildings. Cans and containers are made from steel. Steel is used to make farm and factory machines. The main idea is:

Honeybees travel up to four miles to find nectar. When a bee finds nectar, it does a wiggle dance to tell the other bees where the nectar is. Other worker bees head out to the source. All in all, a hive of bees can travel up to 55,00 miles and visit 2,000,000 plants to produce one pound of honey. The main idea is:

Lisa’s birthday is soon. She wants to have a party. She will ask six friends to come. They will play games. They will eat cake and ice cream. It will be fun. The main idea is:

Jean finally had the money to buy something she had wanted for a long time, a skateboard. Today after school, Jean would buy her own skateboard. She was pretty good at using skateboards, because she used those of her friends to practice. The main idea is:

It was the end of May and Li still hadn’t made any friends. Li was shy and self-conscious about his height. At his old school, he’d been on the golf team, but when he came here, golf season had already ended. Li planned to go out for the team next year, but that didn’t help his situation now. The main idea is:

Jim’s family bought a new car. Jim is very excited about it. His father and mother will take him for a ride in it tomorrow. Jim hopes it will be a long ride. The main idea is:

There are about 2,000 kinds of bats. They come in many sizes. Bats are rather strange looking animals. They are soft and furry with large ears. Bats cannot run or walk. They usually eat insects. Bats are the only mammals that fly. The main idea is:

Chemicals were placed into bee feeders. Within two days, the bees connected the smell of the chemicals with food. They were able to lead researchers to buried explosives by scents alone. Researchers hope to use honeybees to locate buried land mines. The main idea is:

The clock rang. John pulled the covers over his head. He did not want to get up. His eyes were shut. John heard his wife call him. He had to get up. The main idea is:

The largest bird is the ostrich. This bird is unable to fly. It can run as fast as a horse. The ostrich makes use of its feet and legs to protect itself. It kicks its enemies. Ostriches eat insects, mice, and snakes. The main idea is:

Robert Baden-Powell thought boys in England weren’t tough enough. So he started the Boy Scouts, which then caught on in the U.S. Then Baden-Powell started the Girl Guides, again in England. The Girl Guides, or Girl Scouts, came to the U.S. as well. The main idea is:

Joe will wash his brother’s car. His brother likes a clean car. Joe likes to wash the car. He will make it very clean. His brother will pay him for his work. The main idea is:

One of the oldest and most important jobs in the world is that of the farmer. We all depend on the farmer for our food. Modern farming is very different than it was years ago. Today, many machines help to do the work faster and better.

In 1939, the World’s Fair was held in New York City. People came from 60 countries to see the “World of Tomorrow” products. Machines that washed dishes! Refrigerators that made ice! And even a radio with pictures – called a TV! The people of 1939 were excited about many of the things we now take for granted. The main idea is:

Ginny will move to a new house. The new house is not far from the old house. Ginny will go to the same school. She can keep her old friends. She can make new friends, too. The main idea is:

One of the best-known cartoonists in the world was Walt Disney. As a boy, Disney liked to draw. He moved to Hollywood and there he made cartoons. He created the characters of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and others. The main idea is:

Dracula may not be real, but vampire bats are, and they feed on blood! Most vampire bats live in South America. They usually hunt small mammals and birds. But occasionally they travel in swarms and attack cattle – and even humans! Some vampire bats have a wingspan of 67 inches! The main idea is:

Mark has a dog. It is a very beautiful pet. Mark will take the dog to a dog show. He hopes it will win. Mark and the dog will have fun. The main idea is:

A very important food for a large number of people is bread. Bread is made from many different kinds of grains. Americans eat bread mostly made from wheat. Bread is important to us because it is a good source of energy. The main idea is:

Subaru Takahashi left Japan in a sailboat. He hoped to become the youngest person to sail across the Pacific. But an engine failed, leaving him without lights. Then a violent storm hit. Even his radio broke. But he didn’t give up. 54 days later, the 14 yr. old sailed into San Francisco Bay. The main idea is:

Frank has no pets. He wants a quiet pet. He looks at fish and turtles. Turtles are more fun to watch. Frank buys a turtle. The main idea is:

The newspaper photographer takes many pictures of an event. Once he comes back to the newspaper office, the pictures are developed in about 15 minutes. From all the pictures taken, only one or two are chosen to be printed in the newspaper. The main idea is:

Scotland’s Loch Ness has been making headlines for more than 70 years. In 1933, two people reported seeing a huge animal swimming in the lake. Two more claimed they saw the same creature moving across land. Some people said it had a hump. Others said it had flippers and a long neck. Despite more than 4,000 sightings, no one knows for sure if “Nessie” exists. The main idea is:

It gets very hot in the summer. Sometimes it is too hot to work. It is too hot to play. The best thing to do is go swimming. The main idea is:

A reporter goes to many places to get stories. The reporters talk to people to get the information wanted. This information is written down in note form. Back at the newspaper office, the reporter uses the notes to write up the story. The main idea is:

Unicorns were once common in folk tales. Unicorns resembled horses with a single horn on their foreheads. They lived deep in the forest and were rarely seen. The only way to capture one was to send a maiden alone into the forest. Upon seeing her, a unicorn would approach. It would then lie down beside her, allowing itself to be captured. The main idea is:

Scott has something he likes a lot. It has four wheels. It is red. It can carry things. Scott rides in it. Scott gives his friends rides in it. It is Scott’s truck. The main idea is:

Pirates were robbers who attacked and robbed ships. There are still a few pirates in the world today, but most pirates lived between 1550 and 1850. Many pirate ships flew a black flag with a skull and crossbones on it. Pirates were interested in treasure and rarely hurt anyone. The Main Idea is:

Tattoos might be “in,” but they can also be dangerous. Dirty needles are sometimes used to puncture the skin. These needles can spread deadly diseases. It is important for people to research tattoo parlors for their cleanliness. Because, being “in” could just mean being in the hospital. The Main Idea is: