Directions: Read the story and answer the questions that follow.

Adventurous Storyteller
Jack London, one of America’s major writers of
adventure tales, was born in California in 1876. During
his life, London worked at many jobs. His broad life
experiences would become the background for his
writing.
London loved to read. As a teenager, he spent many hours educating himself at the Oakland, California, public library.
He attended college at the University of California at Berkeley, but he stayed for only si x months. He thought Berkeley
was “not lively enough” and wanted to do something more exciting.
London wrote stories about working people and the hard times they had making a living. He knew their problems first
hand. He worked as a sailor, rancher, factory employee, railroad hobo, and gold prospector, to name just a few of his
many jobs.
London grew up near the waterfront in Oakland. He loved the water. When he was fifteen years old, he bought a small
sailboat called a sloop. Later he sailed to Japan on a schooner, which is a much larger sailing boat.
Like many people of the time, London caught the Klondike Gold Rush Fever. In l897, he headed for Alaska. He didn’t
find gold, but he discovered something even more valuable. He discovered that people enjoyed listening to the stories
he made up with his vivid imagination. London entertained the miners with story after story. Later, using his
experiences during the Gold Rush, he created many more colorful stories.
London resolved to live a full, exciting life. He once said, “I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in
magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.” Each day, he pushed himself. Once London determined that
he was going to be a writer, nothing could stop him. His goal was to write at least one thousand words every day. He
refused to stop even when he was sick. In eighteen years, the writer published fifty-one books and hundreds of articles.
He was the best-selling and highest-paid author of his day. Many people also considered him to be the best writer.
White Fang and The Call of the Wild are his most famous stories and are about surviving in the Alaskan wilderness.
Readers can enjoy Jack London’s energy and his talent for telling wonderful stories each time they open one of his
novels.

1. Why was Jack London able to write on many topics?

A. He had a variety of experiences and jobs.
B. He was drawn to the Klondike Gold Rush.
C. He pushed himself to reach goals.
D. He was the best-selling and highest-paid author.

2. Why did Jack London not complete college?

A. He traveled to Alaska in 1897.
B. He was hired to sail to Japan.
C. He spent much of his time writing.
D. He was not interested enough.

3. What do a sloop and schooner have in common?

A. They were both built in Japan.
B. They were both owned by Jack London.
C. They are both types of watercraft.
D. They were both made in the early 1900s.

4. When did Jack London discover he first had a talent for storytelling?
A. when he went to college
B. when he went to Alaska
C. when he was a teenager
D. when he worked as a sailor

5. Which word best describes Jack London?

A. cautious
B. unfocused
C. imaginative
D. compassionate
Directions: Read the story and answer the questions that follow.

Changing the Environment

Sara Hayden discovered her private perch on a large boulder about two weeks after her family moved to Poplar Springs.
It was the first Friday in April, and Sara’s school had early dismissal. She tossed her jacket over the sofa, dumped her
backpack on the floor, and put on her heavy hiking boots. She grabbed a banana and a juice box and hustled out the
back door. She still had not made a single friend at her new school; arriving late in the term had been challenging. She
felt isolated and alone. As Sara’s loneliness at school continued, trekking through the tract of deep woods behind her
house relieved the frustration that had built up in her.

That day Sara chose a particularly mucky route adjacent to Willow Creek. Early spring mud squished beneath her
boots like clay and splattered brown specks on her jeans. Through the woods close to Willow Creek, Sara heard the
creek splashing down the falls. Pale green buds announced the late-arriving spring.

About half a mile from the house, Sara noticed something rather peculiar—a whittled, pencil-shaped stump where a
tall poplar sapling had stood the previous week. She looked around and saw a narrow path marked by broken branches
and crushed leaves. Sara carefully picked her way through the underbrush, snagging her jeans on prickly vines.

Sara reached Willow Creek and realized immediately what had happened to the poplar sapling. A pair of industrious
beavers was actively damming Willow Creek. Sara sat on a boulder about 20 yards from the partially built lodge. As
yet, the dam could not stop Willow Creek in full rush, but the beavers had major construction in mind. Sara wondered
how long it would take them to finish. One beaver, hauling a heavy branch in its teeth, appeared on the creek bank. For
the first time in weeks, Sara was interested in something.

Over the next few weeks, Sara monitored the progress of the beavers’ timber-cutting endeavor. She noticed that poplar,
birch, and willow saplings had been gnawed into stumps. The newly clear-cut plots allowed sunlight to reach the forest
floor, where wildflowers painted the greenery and vines shimmied up narrow tree trunks.
The dam increased in size and reduced Willow Creek to a mere trickle. The beavers followed a remarkable work ethic.
The dam was never sufficient, never big enough, never strong enough to suit the active beavers. Sara wondered whether
the husky adult beavers had newborn kits in their lodge. If so, the offspring had not yet emerged into the open. She did
not expect to see any for several weeks.
The stone perch gave Sara a front-row seat as the ecosystem engineers converted a rushing stream into a still-pond
habitat. Sara scanned the pond daily to see what had changed. It did not occur to her that what had changed the most
was her own attitude. She had exchanged loneliness for curiosity, frustration for fascination.

As the dam changed the pond’s environment, the population changed as well. A pair of wood ducks became the first
visitors to set up housekeeping. The “whoo-eek, whoo-eek” of the green-headed male echoed through the woods. The
female replied with a “crreck, crreck, crreck.” Duckweed sprouted around the edges of the pond. Scrawny reeds popped
up on the banks, and frogs, salamanders, and a slender snake found their way to the pond. Dragonflies and mayflies
buzzed in the warm spring air.
In school, Sara’s science class was studying ecosystems. “Pair up and do a report on habitats. Be prepared to give a
presentation two weeks from Friday,” said Mr. Hoffinger.
Seated alphabetically, Sara sat directly behind Kayla Hammond. Kayla turned around in her seat and whispered, “Do
you have a partner?” Sara shook her head. “Want to work together?” asked Kayla.
Sara smiled. “I have an inspiration. Come over to my house after school, and I’ll show you.”
The day of the presentation came; Sara and Kayla were ready. Kayla ran the slide show while Sara narrated. “This
spring, two ecosystem engineers moved to Willow Creek. These engineers have no college degrees, yet they build
elaborate habitats. They are Castor canadensis, American beavers.”
The slides were impressive and, along with the chart, very instructive. The other students had so many questions and
comments that both Kayla and Sara talked with almost everyone in class. The beaver dam had changed both the
environment of the pond and Sara herself.

1. Whatmay thereader bestconclude aboutSaraand Kayla’s science presentation?

a. The teacher is surprised by the detail of the project.
b. The other students have already seen the beavers.
c. The other students are fascinated by the information.
d. The teacher will plan a field trip to see the beavers in action.

2. Based on the last sentence in the story, the reader may best conclude that —
a. Sara will begin to feel comfortable at her new school
b. the beaver dam will become a gathering spot for students
c. the newborn kits will grow into ecosystem engineers
d. Mr. Hoffinger will plan a lesson on beaver

3. The beavers help Sara by —

a. clearing the forest so she can see more easily
b. making her school appear more inviting
c. giving her an activity to look forward to each day
d. creating a path so she can return home

4. Willow Creek is important to the plot because Sara —

a. likes to be alone
b. develops a new attitude there
c. is new to the area
d. thinks of ideas for her assignment there

5. Which sentence from the story shows why Sara is frustrated?

a. She still had not made a single friend at her new school; arriving late in the term had been
challenging.
b. Sara carefully picked her way through the underbrush, snagging her jeans on prickly vines.
c. Sara reached Willow Creek and realized immediately what had happened to the poplar sapling.
d. It did not occur to her that what had changed the most was her own attitude.
Directions: Read the story and answer the questions that follow.

Lyophilization
Lyophilization isthescientificnameforwhatyouhave probably heard of before as freeze drying. Freeze drying is useful for
preserving perishable foods, as well as for making them lighter, and thus easier to transport. The idea of freeze drying was
popularizedby thecreationoffreezedriedicecream,soldattheAir and Space Museum to tourists as an example of astronaut
food. But freeze drying is not just a novelty. Hikers often carry freeze dried food because of its light weight, and reconstitute it
using available water sources.Freezedryingisalsousedtomanufacture instant coffee and some pharmaceuticals.

The idea behind freeze drying is to remove every bit of water from a substance. Because the water content in freeze dried items is so
greatly reduced, it is less likely to spoil due to microorganisms and enzymes, and if properly sealed, freeze dried foods can
remain unspoiled at room temperature for many years. Freeze drying also preserves the material being dried, unlike typical
dehydrating methods which can cause food to shrink and become leathery (think of dried apple slices).Freezedryingalso
allowsfoodtoretainitsflavor and smell.

Whenyoupreserve afood bybasicdehydration, you simply put it somewhere hot and arid (like setting it out in the sun, or using a
dehydrator, which circulates hot air around the food)
1111
and the water in the food evaporates―but notallofthewater.Conventional dehydration only removes about 90
to 90% of the moisture,whichcanslowdownspoilage,butwillnot entirelyprevent it.Freeze drying, on theotherhand, is a multi‐
part process. First the material is frozen. Then the surrounding pressure is reduced so that the frozen water in the material can
transformdirectlyfromits solid phase into a gas. This process is called sublimation, and it is the same process that gradually
causes unusedice cubes to shrinkin the freezer, and whichaccountsforthedisappearance of snowin the winter even though
temperatures have not risen enough forittomelt.Acoldcondenserchamberor condenserplatesareusedasasurfaceon which
the vaporcanbecomeasolidagain,butthisonlyworksif thesesurfacesarecolderthanthematerialbeingdried. Freeze drying can
take days, because rushing the drying process by overheating the food can change its structure and composition, and one of
the objectives of freeze dryingistoleavethesethings intact.

1. Which two words are synonyms?

a. freeze drying and dehydration
b. freeze drying and Lyophilization
c. Lyophilization and dehydration

2. What are theobjectives behind freeze drying? Select all that apply.
a. reducing moisture content
b. extending shelflife
c. preserving flavor
d. preserving smell
e. making food weigh less

3. Describe the steps involved in Lyophilization.

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4. Name three products that are created using Lyophilization:

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5. Explain the difference between Lyophilization and conventional dehydration.

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Directions: Read the story and answer the questions that follow.

The Howler Monkey

Howler monkeys are the loudest animal in the New World. They are named for their habit
of howling loudly to other troops to signal ownership of territory, for which they are in constant
competition. The large throats and specialized vocal chambers of the males allow them to
project their calls at a much higher than normal volume.
Howler monkeys often begin and end the day with these cries, which can be heard from as much as
three miles away, and which serve to let them keep tabs on where their nearest competitors are. When a
male Howler monkey howls, his cry is answered by all other males within earshot. But the fewer Howler
monkeys there are in an area, the less frequently they howl. For example, where only a few specimen are
living in a wildlife sanctuary, they are more likely to howl only a few times a week, rather than a few
times a day.
Howler monkeys are New World monkeys. The term “New World monkeys” refers to the families of
primates that are found in Central and South America and portions of Mexico. They are small to mid‐
sized, and are unique from Old World Monkeys in several respects. New World monkeys have flatter
noses than Old World monkeys, and their nostrils face to the side. New World monkeys are also the only
monkeys with prehensile tails, and unlike most Old World monkeys, they have opposable thumbs; both
attributes that contribute to the fact that most New World monkeys are almost exclusively arboreal. New
World Monkeys also differ from Old World monkeys in that they form monogamous pairs to mate, and
are very attentive to their young. Finally, most New World monkeys are not trichromats, meaning that
they don’t have three independent channels (three different cone types) for conveying color information
to the brain, however, the Howler monkey is the only New World Monkey that is a trichromat.
Howler Monkeys live in “troops” of up to eighteen individuals, with each troop maintaining a territory
between three and twenty‐ five acres. Troops are led by a dominant male who typically kills all the infant
monkeys present when he takes over a troop so that the females with mate with him and produce his
offspring instead. Males are able to reproduce at five years old, females can reproduce between the ages
of three and four. After a six‐ month gestation, females give birth a single, live baby that clings to its
mother until it is weaned about eighteen months old. Females in the troop share responsibility for
caring for the young of the troop.
Howler Monkeys are fairly inactive, and spend up to 80% of their time resting in high tree branches.
They eat leaves and fruit, and drink water by licking it off of their hands. In their natural habitat, Howler
monkeys can live to be 15 years old.

1. Why does the Howler monkey howl?

a. To signal ownership of territory.
b. To attract a mate.
c. To keep tabs on where rival troops are.
d. Both A and C.

2. In what way is the Howler monkey different from other New World monkeys?
a. Ithasaprehensiletail.
b. It is not monogamous.
c. It is a trichromat.
d. It is arboreal.

3. TheHowlermonkeyhas the distinction ofbeingthe

animal in the New World:
a. loudest
b. laziest
c. longest‐living
d. fastest

4. Fill out the graphic organizer below:

Directions: Read the story and answer the questions that follow.

The Montgomery Alabama Bus Boycott

The bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955 and 1956 brought the
power to non‐ violent protest to the attention of the entire United States.
It was set into motion by Rosa Parks, an African American woman, who
refused to comply with a bus driver’s request that she give up her bus
seat to a white man.

Rosa Parks was the first woman to join the Montgomery chapter of the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP),
where he husband was an active member. She was raised by
grandparents who were both former slaves, in Pine Level, Alabama, where she attended a
segregated (“separate but equal”) school. As one would expect, her early years were characterized
by the ubiquitous racism of the era, with its often attendant violence. “Back then, we didn’t have
any civil rights,” Parks said. “It was just a matter of survival, of existing from one day to the next. I
remember going to sleep as a girl hearing the Klan ride at night and hearing a lynching and
being afraid the house would burn down.”

After Parks’ refusal to turn over her bus seat, she was arrested and fined a total of $14, which
included court costs, for violating a city ordinance giving the bus driver the right to assign seats.
Parks’ experience roused to action the Montgomery Women’s Political Council, who printed the
following flyer which it distributed throughout Montgomery’s black community:

“Another woman has been arrested and thrown in jail because she refused to get up out of
her seat on the bus for a white person . . .This has to be stopped. Negroes have rights too,
for if Negroes did not ride the buses, they could not operate.
Three‐ fourths of the riders are Negro . . .We are . . . asking every Negro to stay off the buses
Monday in protest of the arrest and trial.”

The community got behind the effort and the Monday boycott/protest was successful, so
successful in fact that Dr. Martin Luther King, leader of the Montgomery Improvement
Association, asked people to continue the boycott. Its initial demands were consistent with the
“separate but equal” policy. Its leaders as that African Americans be treated courteously while
riding the bus, that seats be made available on a first come, first serve basis, and that African
Americans also be employed as bus drivers.

The boycott lasted for 381 days, during which it is estimated that about 42,000 protestors went on
refusing to ride the bus, opting instead for any other available means of transportation. The
economic message was received by the bus company loud and clear. And following the United
States Supreme Court decision that the Montgomery segregation law was unconstitutional, the
buses were ordered to be desegregated. The boycott brought national attention to Dr. Martin
Luther King and was one of the defining events that culminated in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 –
making both segregation at any public facility or the refusal of employment to any individual on
the basis of race both against the law.
1. WhatwasRosaParks’roleintheMontgomeryBus Boycott?
a. She organized the one‐day boycott.
b. She organized the longer boycott.
c. She refusedtosurrenderherseatonthebus toa white man, thus bringing the issue to public notice.
d. She was the first woman to join the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP.

2. Who initially organized the boycott?

a. The NAACP
b. The Montgomery Women’s Political Council
c. The Montgomery Improvement Association
d. The U.S.SupremeCourt

3. What point did the boycott make to the bus companies?

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4. What two profound effects did the Montgomery Bus Boycott have on American history?
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