Story Reading 250 1-1
Some teens say they are addicted to smart phones or playing computer games alone because they do not know what to do in their free time. P
If you think like that, I can give you better ideas than playing with machines. P
That's joining an after-school club! P
See why an after-school program is the right way to have fun after school. P
After-school programs are more flexible than regular classes in school. P
You are free to ask for new rules? games? or a longer timeline to your teacher. P
This will help you feel more independent. P
Students at different ages can join after-school clubs. P
If you are an older student in your group, you can have the opportunity to be a helper and a role model for younger students! P
This will help build your leadership skills, responsibility? and self-esteem. P
A lot of new friends are waiting for you in the after-school clubs. P
You won't feel lonely when you're running up the field with your soccer teammates. P
Are you interested? If so? you need to talk with your parents first. P
If they say it's okay, then find out what activities are available in your school or community. P
How about trying new things? P
You will feel like a new person with your new after-school activities! P
Story Reading 250 1-2
Jay transferred to a new school because of his dad's new job. P
Jay found it very hard to fit in at his new school. P
He had no friends and had to fight to stay awake in class. P
Finally Jay talked to his dad about his problems. P
His dad advised that Jay join an after-school club. P
Jay wondered how helpful it would be, but his dad's story changed Jay's mind. P
"As you know, your grandfather was a serviceman, so my family had to move every three years. P
I felt exactly the same as you do now. P
One day at my second school, I saw a poster with the words 'Drama Club.' P
I was not sure I could be in a play, but I attended the audition for a new 'Peter Pan.' P
I was so nervous? but I tried my best. P
After I finished, all the members cheered. P
I got the lead role of Peter Pan! P
As I practiced every day, I quickly became friends with everyone. P
After I recited lines from the play in my class, my classmates also cheered for me. P
Class wasn't boring anymore! P
On the night of the show I gave an excellent performance. P
Finally, I felt like I belonged to my school. P
I'm sure the after-school program will help you!" P
The next day, Jay woke up early and rushed to his school. P
He was excited as he looked at the list of after-school programs. P
Story Reading 250 1-3
Easter is an important holiday in many countries around the world. P
Families often gather at one house and enjoy eating all the delicious food, especially the Easter cakes. P
People eat different kinds of Easter cakes in different countries. P
In Russia, they serve a traditional Easter dessert called "Pashka." P
Russians use a lot of cream cheese and cottage cheese to make it. P
It is like a sweet cheesecake. P
It is shaped much like a pyramid and has the letters "XB" on it. P
In Russian, this means "Christ has risen." P
If you go to Spain at Easter, you might eat "la Mona de Pascua." P
It is a Spanish Easter cake shaped like a donut. P
There is a layer of jam inside the cake. P
Bakers cover the top with chocolate eggs, almonds, and colorful feathers. P
Imagine that! It is tradition for the godparents to give this food to their godchildren on Easter. P
A famous Easter food in Italy is "la Colomba Pasquale." P
It is a cake with a special shape. P
It is shaped like a dove! P
The dove is a symbol for peace. P
Before the bread is baked, people cover it with almonds and sugar. P
It can also be decorated with sweet frosting and fresh fruit. P
Easter cakes are different in every country. P
What kind of Easter cakes or pastries do you have in your country? P
Story Reading 250 1-4
Dear Catherine, How was Easter in America? P
We call Easter "Pasen" in the Netherlands, and it is a big holiday for us! P
We usually celebrate Pasen with our friends. P
So my family was very busy preparing Easter dinner for the guests. P
I helped my mom prepare all of the foods. P
First, I made colored eggs. P
I boiled a few eggs and let them cool in cold water. P
Then, I painted them with bright colors. P
We hid them around the house. P
The children had a fun Easter egg hunt. P
Mom asked me to help her make the Paasstol for everyone to share. P
It is yummy Easter bread. P
First, we made the dough. P
Then, we kneaded the dough with our hands. P
It was hard work! P
After that, we added sweet fruits like currants, raisins, and candied cherries. P
Mom put a little almond paste in the middle of the dough. P
I folded in the sides until it was covered. P
Last, we baked the bread. P
It smelled wonderful! P
We got the other foods ready too. P
I put lots of chocolate eggs around the table. P
Dad brought in some smoked salmon and smoked eel. P
Last, my brother put some candles on the table. P
Finally, our guests knocked on the door! P
I wish that you were one of them! P
I hope that you come and visit me next Easter! P
Take care! Your friend, Tessa P
Story Reading 250 1-5
People think bees are helpful insects because they give us honey. P
We use honey in a lot of different foods. P
Many people like to pour sweet honey over bread or cakes, or add it to tea. P
But, bees do not just give honey. P
Bees are very important to farmers. P
They help farmers grow fresh fruits and vegetables all year. P
They do this by pollinating the flowers on these plants. P
Pollination means mixing the pollen from two flowers. P
Bees take pollen from one flower to another. P
When the pollen mixes, the plant can grow fruit and vegetables. P
Bees help pollinate a lot of favorites like almonds, cucumber, garlic, onions, strawberries, and even watermelon. P
Other animals help pollinate too. P
But bees are often the best pollinators. P
Scientists worry that if the number of bees declines, the amount of fruits and vegetables will decrease too. P
Some animals may die because they won't have enough food. P
The number of bees around the world is decreasing quickly. P
However, it's not too late to try to increase the bee population. P
First, you can plant flowers that bees like in your garden. P
Next, you can be careful not to hurt the bees' homes. P
Finally, remember that we should respect them, not be afraid of them. P
Tell your friends about the importance of bees. P
Story Reading 250 1-6
One day Kate was especially excited. P
Her mom gave her a big bag from the garden store. P
There were many packages of seeds inside. P
Kate and her mom dug little holes for each seed in the garden. P
Kate put every seed into its own hole. P
She planted cucumbers, celery, radishes, and blackberries. P
Kate waited for her new garden to bloom. P
She really wanted to taste the delicious food. P
One day, when she was about to water the plants, a bee buzzed by Kate's face. P
Kate was surprised. P
She yelled and asked her dad to drive away the bees. P
She didn't want any insects around. P
He just smiled and explained how important bees are. P
Bees help plants to grow because they take pollen from one flower to another and mix their pollen. P
When the pollen of one flower pollinates another, the plant can make fruit and vegetables. P
Her dad said if there were no bees in the garden, Kate wouldn't have anything to eat. P
Kate listened to her dad, but she still didn't like the bees. P
For the next few days, bees flew around the garden. P
Over the next few weeks, all the plants in the garden started to grow. P
Kate was so happy to see them that she changed her mind. P
She went out into the garden and picked a cucumber. P
Then, she said, "Thank you, my bee friends!" P
Story Reading 250 1-7
Do you want to be an inventor? Most inventions take a lot of time and effort. P
However, some inventions are complete accidents! P
One of these accidents became a tasty snack-chocolate chip cookies! P
In 1930, Ruth Graves Wakefield was preparing food for a party. P
She wanted to make chocolate cookies, but she didn't have any baker's chocolate. P
She cut a chocolate bar into small pieces. P
She put them in the dough. P
She thought the chocolate would melt into the cookies in the oven, but they didn't. P
The chocolate was just stuck in the cookies. P
Her party guests loved the look and taste of the new cookies! P
Today's chocolate chip cookies use the same recipe. P
Another accidental invention is potato chips. P
In 1853, George Crum was working at a fancy resort in Saratoga Springs. P
One of his customers ordered French fries. P
He got mad at George because the fries were too thick. P
George made another batch of fries. P
The customer still thought they were too thick. P
George was angry so he made the next fries too thin to eat with a fork. P
The customer thought the "chips" looked strange, but they were very delicious. P
The other customers all loved the chips too. P
Some inventions can happen from accidents. P
Don't feel bad the next time you're faced with something unexpected. P
You never know! Maybe your accident will be the next creative invention! P
Story Reading 250 1-8
Our teacher had big news today. P
She said our school would be having an invention contest. P
We can try inventing anything we can imagine. P
I don't have any ideas. P
I'm a little bit nervous. P
The contest is only two weeks away. P
Oh, I have to feed Nibbler now. P
That hamster eats so much! P
Today, I tried to make a robo-dog. P
I attached batteries to the toy poodle's back. P
It didn't move! It just made noises. P
Then, I thought an electric bike would be fun. P
But my sister wouldn't let me use her bike. P
Just then, I saw Nibbler by chance. P
He did something strange. P
He bumped the side of his cage and some food fell in. P
Oh, my! It gave me a great idea. P
I finally made my invention! I realized that Nibbler always needs food. P
I made something so he can get food by himself. P
First, I put his food in an old can with a hole in the bottom. P
Then, I covered the hole with cardboard. P
I attached string to the cardboard. P
When he pulls the string, food comes out! P
I did it! I received first prize in the invention contest! P
The judges said my food dispenser was a great idea. P
I felt great and my teacher was proud of me. P
I said thank you to Nibbler too. P
What a great day! P
Story Reading 250 1-9
UNESCO is a group of 195 countries in the United Nations. P
They choose some special places around the world as "World Heritage Sites" using certain criteria. P
There are many sites that we've never even heard of. P
Some are now becoming famous tourist spots. P
Let's look at a few. P
The Wieliczka Salt Mine is located in southern Poland. P
Many tourists like to visit this site. P
There are amazing rock salt carvings including statues, carved paintings, chapels, and a wedding hall. P
The air in the caves is very clean. P
Some visitors feel their allergies get better because they can breathe easier in there. P
Yellowstone National Park is a vast park in America. P
It is among the most popular parks in America. P
Around 2 million tourists travel there each year. P
They enjoy hiking, camping, and viewing all the scenery and wildlife. P
Yellowstone is also famous for the Old Faithful Geyser. P
It shoots hot water into the air about every 90 minutes. P
The Galapagos Islands are a group of small islands off the coast of Ecuador. P
These islands are famous because they have many unique types of animals. P
These animals only live there. P
You can't find them anywhere else in the world. P
The animals include 11 types of giant tortoises, flightless birds, iguanas, penguins, sea-lions, and more! P
UNESCO adds more World Heritage Sites to the list each year. P
Are there any special places in your country? P
Story Reading 250 1-10
Our class had a field trip last week. P
We went to visit a World Heritage Site. P
We drove just outside of Krakow, Poland, and arrived at the Wieliczka Salt Mine! P
First, we met our guide. P
His name was Mateusz. P
Then we went into the mine and walked down, down, down. P
There were 350 steps! While we walked, Mateusz told us the legend of Princess Kinga. P
According to the legend, the salt mining started here because of her. P
We reached the first room. P
It was a beautiful chapel! P
All of the walls were carved into religious scenes. P
There were wonderful statues everywhere. P
I couldn't believe that it was all made from rock salt. P
The salt on my table is white, but this salt was very dark. P
I tried to lick the wall but my teacher, Mr. Ibarra, stopped me. P
Mateusz laughed and said it was okay to try. P
Yuck! It didn't taste good at all! P
I should have listened to Mr. Ibarra. P
Last, we came to an underground lake. P
The water was light blue and there were salt stalagmites. P
Mateusz explained that a stalagmite was a rock pillar made by dripping water. P
Before we left, we came to the souvenir shop. P
I bought a miniature rock salt statue of Princess Kinga. P
I felt sad to leave this place and say good bye to Mateusz. P
He led the tour so well! This field trip was a great experience. P
Story Reading 250 1-11
The word triathlon comes from two ancient Greek words. P
The Greek word trei means "three" and the word athlos means "contest." P
Triathlon means "three contests". P
"A triathlon is a long race with three separate sports: swimming, cycling, and running. P
Historians believe the triathlon may have started in France, in the 1920s or 1930s. P
At this time, France had a popular event called "Les Trois Sports" (the three sports). P
In these races, competitors swam, rode bicycles, and ran a foot race. P
The first modern triathlon was held in San Diego in 1974, and 46 people took part in it. P
The triathlon became an Olympic event at the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, in 2000. P
If you want to be an Olympic triathlon champion, you must be very, very fit. P
The swim is 1.5km long. P
It can be in a lake, a river, or in a swimming pool. P
Right after the swim, you must cycle for 40km. P
Athletes don't take a break between events. P
The final event is a 10km run. P
Athletes spend almost all their time training to get their bodies ready. P
Most triathlon athletes say the sport is their favorite because it is so difficult. P
Their bodies don't get a chance to rest. P
But triathlon competitors like seeing how far they can push their bodies. P
Do you want to try a triathlon? P
Story Reading 250 1-12
"Run until it hurts. Then run some more." P
My dad said that to me when I was 13 years old. P
Those words still live in my heart today. P
I liked being an athlete and took part in many sports. P
My favorite was the triathlon. P
I competed every year in high school. P
I wanted to go to the Olympics. P
Then, when I was 17 years old, I had a car accident. P
I lost my leg. P
The doctors told me I might not walk again. P
They told me, "You are lucky to be alive. Forget the Olympics." P
They gave me an artificial leg. P
I practiced getting used to it. P
Whenever I felt pain, I remembered my dad's words. P
By the end of the year, I could walk again. P
Then I saw something exciting on the news. P
"The triathlon will be an official event in the 2016 Paralympics in Brazil." P
I had a goal again. P
Now, I train every day, and think of that gold medal. P
In the morning? I swim in a lake without my artificial leg. P
We won't be allowed to use artificial legs during the swim. P
After that, I put on my artificial leg and get on my bicycle. P
Then I cycle for 40 km. P
Finally, I do my running practice. P
I'm excited to go to Brazil in two years. P
I hope I can make my dad proud. P
Story Reading 250 1-13
Hunger is a major problem in the world. P
It is believed that someone dies of hunger every 3.6 seconds. P
Seventy-five percent of these deaths are children. P
Sadly, food waste is a serious problem as well. P
We are throwing out uneaten food because we no longer want to eat it or it is old and spoiled. P
This causes a lot of trouble for our planet and ourselves. P
Because food waste is the largest type of garbage in the world, it causes many problems. P
The food waste in garbage dumps makes a dangerous gas. P
This gas is one of the major reasons why we are experiencing climate change. P
Furthermore, we use more water and money due to food waste. P
More water is needed to dispose of food at dumps. P
Also, we need some machines that help us dispose of food properly. P
They are very expensive to run. P
What can we do to solve it? P
We should check the food we have in our fridges before we buy new food. P
Before we go to the market, we should make our grocery list. P
If we get too much food, it is good to share it with our friends and neighbors. P
It would be great to have no more wasted food! P
The food we throw away could save someone's life. P
Story Reading 250 1-14
One Friday afternoon, Simon came home from school. P
"Mom, I'm home!" he yelled, but there was no answer. P
Simon found his mom in the garage. P
She was looking at the garbage can in the corner. P
It was full of their food waste. P
She said, "Oh.Hi, honey." She sounded sad. P
"We waste too much food. P
We throw out half of the food we buy! P
It breaks my heart to see this. P
People are starving in other places." P
Just then, Simon had an idea. P
He ran upstairs to his room and got a notepad and a pencil. P
He thought, "How can we stop wasting food?" P
He started to make a list: P
The Nicholson Family Waste-Not Promise P
1. We will eat the food in our fridge before we buy new food. P
2. We will only buy as much food as we can eat. P
3. We will not buy things that are not on our grocery list. P
4. We will use old food as compost in our garden. P
5. We will share any extra food with our neighbors. P
Simon showed the list to his mother. P
"This is a family promise. P
I'll be the first to sign it." And he did. P
Then his mother wrote her name next to his. P
She hugged him and said, "You're such a smart boy! P
I know your father and sister will like this idea too!" P
Story Reading 250 1-15
Welcome back to Kids' News! P
We have two special guests with unusual jobs. P
Andrew Larson is an ice cream taster, and Kim Curray rites the messages in fortune cookies. P
Thank you for having us. P
Can you tell us what your main duties are? P
I try to improve ice cream flavors. P
I mix fruits, chocolates, and nuts together. P
Also, I make brand new flavors. P
I read emails and letters from our customers and change the fortunes like they ask. P
If I have a good idea, then I will write a new fortune. P
How interesting! What do you like the most about your jobs? P
Everyone feels excited to read their fortunes at the end of a meal. P
I like making people happy. P
One thing I like is seeing children smile when they eat our ice cream. P
The other thing I like is tasting all of the various flavors! P
What do you need to do your job well? P
You have to know about food. P
I studied food science in university. P
You also need to understand different tastes very well. P
Fortunes are usually only 10 words long. P
You have to be good at writing short sentences. P
Today I got one idea for a fortune from a book, another from TV, and the other on the subway! P
You both have such interesting jobs! P
Thank you for working to make people happy! P
Story Reading 250 1-16
Karen's class spent the day at a large ice cream factory. P
One of the tasters was their guide. P
The guide gave the class white lab coats, rubber gloves, and masks. P
"Wear these to keep germs away from the ice cream." P
Karen put her glove on her head and walked like a chicken. P
Everyone laughed at her. P
All the ice cream tasters were waiting for the class. P
Instead of just talking about their jobs, the guide said, "Let's have a taste test! P
Who can identify the most ice cream flavors?" P
The students wore blindfolds and tasted 10 different kinds of ice cream. P
Karen identified nine out of ten. P
On the last one, she spat the ice cream out. P
"Bleagghhh! Pizza? That's a terrible flavor for ice cream!" The testers laughed. P
"You are good at tasting, little girl!" P
In the next room, there were many different ingredients on tables. P
The guide said, "This is where we invent new flavors of ice cream. P
Would you like to try?" P
Karen ran to get a banana, some raspberries, dark chocolate, and some walnuts. P
Karen mashed everything together in a bowl and said, "It's Banana Berry Swirl!" P
Everyone thought it was delicious. P
On the bus, everyone said they had a great time. P
Karen said, "I wanted to be a singer, but now I want to be an ice cream taster instead! P
I will taste all the ice cream in my house tonight!" P
Story Reading 250 1-17
If it rains heavily for a long time, a flood can happen. P
There may be so much water in a river that it flows over its banks. P
It rushes into towns. P
Floods destroy people's homes and things. P
People can also be injured or killed in floods. P
Usually the government of a country will try to help people in a flood. P
First, it sets up safe places where people can stay. P
These are called relief centers. P
People can rest and feel safe there. P
The relief centers are usually school gyms or sporting arenas like football stadiums. P
Second, the government feeds and clothes people who have lost everything. P
The food and clothing are already prepared for an emergency. P
Last, it helps rebuild neighborhoods. P
If it is a really bad flood, the army may even be called to help rebuild. P
In addition to the government, communities also help people affected by floods. P
When floods hurt so many people, communities help each other. P
Neighbors donate food and clothing to relief centers. P
They also donate their children's books and toys that they hardly use anymore. P
Many people volunteer to help at relief centers. P
They give out food, clothing, and blankets. P
Finally, everyone works together to rebuild houses and clean up after a flood. P
It's a lot of work, but communities can survive floods together. P
When disasters like floods happen, it's important to help out. P
The government and communities work hard together to rebuild. Even you can help! P
Story Reading 250 1-18
Ms. Schultz told B Class, "There was a flood in Tolsonville. P
Many people were hurt and lost their homes. P
Some of them lost everything in the flood." P
Everyone wanted to go and help, but Ms.Schultz said, "I'm sorry, children, but it is too far and too dangerous." P
The children didn't know what to do. P
At lunch, Jamie had an idea. P
"If we collect spare things from our houses, we can donate them to the flood victims." P
Everyone thought it was an excellent plan. P
That evening, the children all got permission from their parents to donate their old things. P
They couldn't just pick whatever they wanted. P
They had to find things that would help people. P
The children gathered everything in bags and brought them to school the next day. P
Ms. Schultz helped the children arrange all the things into boxes. P
Jamie brought some old clothes. P
They were too small for him now. P
Mia loved to read and had many books. P
She brought in three big bags of novels. P
John brought some canned food his mother gave him. P
Sarah and Annie had a lot of blankets, some batteries, and some toys. P
Ms. Schultz sent all the boxes to Tolsonville. P
The supplies helped the town a lot. P
The mayor of the town thanked the principal. P
The principal told the students what a great job they did. P
Ms. Schultz said, "Good job! B Class saved the day!" P
Story Reading 250 1-19
What Is a Mosquito? P
A mosquito is an insect, a type of fly, and there are over 3,500 different kinds of mosquitoes. P
Do you know what's interesting? P
Only the adult female mosquitoes bite you and other animals. P
They put their spit into your body and it makes you itchy. P
Why Do Female Mosquitoes Bite? P
Female mosquitoes have to develop a number of eggs. P
So they need more nutrition than male mosquitoes that feed enough only on plant juice. P
Blood provides good nutrition to the female mosquitoes, and without it, they will die before laying their eggs. P
Why Do the Mosquitoes Only Bite Me? P
The mosquitoes find their prey mostly by following smells. P
They can "see" your breath when you breathe out. P
They are more likely to bite you if you are breathing hard. P
The mosquitoes also like sweet things. P
Some people's sweat is sweeter than others. P
Themosquitoes are attracted to these people. P
How Can I Stop the Mosquitoes? P
First, you can spray mosquito repellant on your body. P
The mosquitoes hate this smell. P
Next, you can wear long sleeves and pants. P
The mosquitoes can't bite you if they can't find your skin. P
Third, you can keep doors and windows closed. P
This will limit the number of mosquitoes that enter your house. P
Finally, don't leave water in pots or glasses in your yard. P
The mosquito eggs grow in old water. P
Story Reading 250 1-20
The children on the bus were loud and excited. P
They were going to Camp Sunshine for a week of camping in the forest. P
The bus stopped at a big campground next to a beautiful, blue lake. P
The teacher told the children, "Put on mosquito repellant and wear long sleeves. P
There are many mosquitoes here because of the water." P
Stella didn't hear her teacher because she was playing by the water. P
After a fun day of swimming and hiking, the children ate dinner around the campfire and then slept inside their tents. P
Stella felt very hot, so she camped right next to the lake. P
She also left the screen door to her tent open. P
In the morning everyone was surprised to see Stella at breakfast. P
She was covered in big, red welts! P
No one else had any bites. P
"Why did they only bite me?" Stella asked aloud. P
The students all had ideas. P
"It's because you didn't put on repellant! P
You left your screen door open! P
You didn't wear long sleeves!" Stella felt sad and embarrassed. P
Stella's teacher rubbed some medicine on her mosquito bites. P
Then, her teacher explained again how to avoid mosquito bites. P
That night, Stella did what her teacher told her. P
She camped away from the lake and closed her tent tightly. P
Stella didn't get one mosquito bite all night! P