Read the Passage. Look for Roots and Affixes. Answer the Questions That Follow

Read the passage. Look for roots and affixes. Answer the questions that follow.

Snow Day

Tom jumped out of bed and ran to the window. As the meteorologist had predicted the night before, the snow was coming down hard. Tom grinned as he watched fat, white snowflakes cover the houses and cars in his neighborhood. Last night, he had been worried that there would only be a few flurries. He knew that weather forecasting is an imperfect science. But the proof, as his mother always said, was in the pudding. Now, it was time for the school district to do its part.

Tom hastened from his room and ran downstairs to turn on the television. He took the stairs two at a time, chanting, “Please be a snow day! Please be a snow day!”

Suddenly, his older brother, Earl, came running out of the living room. Earl raised his hands in the air like a fan at a football game. “Snow day!” he shouted and shook Tom by the shoulders. “Let's go!”

Their mother popped her head out of the kitchen. “Hold it! I know you two want to go sledding, but breakfast first. Go brush your teeth and come get something to eat.”

“All right, Mom,” Tom said, trying not to groan. For his mother, breakfast was a necessity, not an option.

The boys ate their breakfast quickly and then ran upstairs to change.

“Make sure you put on your thermal socks!” their mother called out.

After they were dressed, Tom and Earl retrieved their sleds from the garage and headed out into the winter wonderland. Tom's mother had given him an extra-light sled for his birthday that was very portable. It was also very fast. He couldn't wait to get to Elmwood Hill, where the neighborhood kids gathered to sled whenever there was a snowfall.

When the boys arrived at the park, they found a number of their friends there, zipping down the hill on their sleds. Although Tom was one of the youngest, he was also one of the best. A boy who had recently moved into the neighborhood decided to challenge him. He pointed to a tree at the bottom of the hill and said, “Whoever passes that tree first wins.”

Tom readily agreed. The boys positioned their sleds and settled into them. The other boys stood on the side, shouting words of encouragement. Earl did the countdown, and the boys flew down the hill. Tom took an early lead, but the other boy picked up speed, and soon they were zooming toward the tree side by side.

Suddenly, Tom realized that he was about to hit the tree head-on. He didn't have time to steer the sled out of the way. He jumped out of the sled just in time to see it smash into the tree. Tom grabbed his ankle in pain and rocked back and forth. The other boys came running down the hill, with an anxious Earl leading the way.

Later that day, Tom found himself in bed, his sprained ankle wrapped in a bandage. He would be inactive for a week, but he felt lucky to be alive.

Answer these questions about “Snow Day.” Write your answers in complete sentences.

1. How do you know that the word meteorologist refers to a person?

1.The suffix -ist means “one who does something.”

2. What does the word imperfect mean?

2.The word imperfect means “not perfect.”

3. Which part of the word necessity is the suffix?

3.The suffix in the word necessity is -ity.

4. What does the root in the word thermal tell you about the boys' socks?

4.The root in the word thermal is therm, which means “heat.” The boys' socks are warm.

5. Using your knowledge of roots and affixes, what does the word portable mean?

5.The word portable means “able to be carried.”

6. How does the prefix in- change the meaning of the word active?

Context Clues: Apply It

Read the passage. Look for context clues. Answer the questions that follow.

Urashima (adapted from a Japanese folktale)

Long ago, a boy named Urashima lived by the sea. Urashima loved the sea and often spent all day on his boat, fishing and enjoying the salty air. One day, as his boat gently rocked on the sea, Urashima felt a tug on his fishing line. As he pulled the creature out of the warm green water, he saw that it was a wrinkled old turtle.

Urashima could have been callous and taken the turtle home for his supper, but he had a heart. He felt sorry for the aged turtle.

“I may not catch a fish for my supper today,” he said. “But I will not prevent you from eating the suppers you still have ahead of you.” Then, Urashima dropped the turtle back into the sea.

Immediately, a beautiful girl rose out of the sea and climbed into the boat. Urashima's mouth dropped open and he stared at the girl, flabbergasted. Surely, he had to be dreaming. He blinked, but the girl did not disappear. Instead she flashed a brilliant smile.

“I was the turtle that you released into the sea,” she explained. “It is no accident that you caught me. I intentionally bit your line. I am the dragon princess, daughter of the sea-god. My father has long admired your love of the sea and sent me to discover if you are as kind as you seem to be. I am happy to learn that you are. Would you like to come with me to the dragon palace below the sea?”

Urashima was ecstatic to receive such a wonderful offer. In fact, he was so happy that he smiled from ear to ear and eagerly picked up the oars. “Lead the way!”

As he rowed the boat, Urashima worried that he might not be able to breathe underwater. However, when they arrived at the edge of the sea, the dragon princess reached out and touched his hand. Urashima felt a strange transformation, a change occurring within his body. In the next moment, the boat began to sink into the sea until it was totally submerged. They traveled underwater until they came to the dragon palace. The beautiful palace was made of seashells, coral, pearls, and emeralds. Inside, all of Urashima's wishes were catered to by fish with silver fins and dragons with golden tails.

“You can stay here for as long as you wish,” the dragon princess said.

Urashima accepted her offer eagerly. He lived at the palace for four years. Then, one day, he decided to visit his home and see his father and kin again.

When Urashima returned to his village, it had changed completely, and he did not recognize anyone. He asked an old man, “Where is the cottage of Urashima?”

“Urashima? The whole family lived and died over four hundred years ago!”

Urashima was stunned. He walked to the sea, unsure what to do. Suddenly, his hands trembled, and his hair turned white. He melted into the sea to join the past in which he had lived.

Answer these questions about “Urashima.” Write your answers in complete sentences.

1. Which context clues help you understand the meaning of callous?

1.The context clues are “but he had a heart.” The word but shows that having a heart is in contrast to being callous, so callous must mean “heartless” or “unfeeling.”

2. Which context clues in the sentence help you figure out that flabbergasted means “astonished”?

2.The sentence says, “Urashima's mouth dropped open.” This is a sign of astonishment.

3. The phrase “no accident” is a context clue to the meaning of which word in the same paragraph?

3.The phrase “no accident” is a context clue to the meaning of intentionally.

4. Using context clues, what does the word ecstatic mean?

4.The word ecstatic means “joyful” or “happy.”

5. Which words help you understand the meaning of transformation?

5.The word transformation is defined in the sentence: “a change.”

6. What does the word submerged mean?