Story Reading 230 2-1
Princess Emmy lived in a castle. P
She had a puppy named Fluffy. P
One day Princess Emmy was not able to find Fluffy. P
She looked everywhere for him. P
She met Prince Matty in the living room. P
"I cannot find Fluffy!" she cried. P
"Where did you leave him?" asked Prince Matty. P
"After breakfast, I left him on my bed. P
I went to pick some flowers in the garden. P
When I returned, he wasn't there," said Princess Emmy. P
"Don't cry, Emmy. Let's look everywhere for Fluffy," said Prince Matty. P
They met the cook in the kitchen. P
"Have you seen Fluffy?" they asked together. P
"No, I have not seen him this morning," said the cook. P
"Why don't you look in the library?" P
They ran to the library. P
The king was reading a book. P
"Have you seen Fluffy, Father?" asked Princess Emmy. P
"No. I haven't seen him all morning," answered the king. P
"Why don't you look outside?" P
They ran into the garden. P
"Gardener, have you seen Fluffy?" P
"No, I haven't. It's lunchtime now. Aren't you hungry?" asked the gardener. P
"I can't eat without Fluffy!" cried Princess Emmy. P
Prince Matty put his arm around Princess Emmy's shoulders. P
As they walked back to the castle, they saw the queen. P
"Mother, we cannot find Fluffy. Princess Emmy is very sad," said Prince Matty. P
"Fluffy has been with me all morning," said the queen. P
"We went for a walk. Now, we are going to have lunch." P
Fluffy ran to Princess Emmy. P
She gave him a big hug. P
It was a happy day after all. P
Story Reading 230 2-2
Amanda was 10 years old when she moved to a small town in Idaho. P
Her routine was the same every day. P
She got up at 7a.m., ate breakfast, brushed her teeth, took a shower, and got dressed for school. P
Then, she walked to school. P
One day, as she was walking home after school, she heard a crying sound. P
Amanda went closer to check what could possibly be crying. P
She found a puppy in a small box. P
He was cute but very thin. P
He looked hungry. P
Amanda picked him up and took him home. P
Amanda ran into her room with the puppy and fed him. P
After that, she gave him a bath, and then she placed the puppy into a box. P
"I should give him a name. I'll call him Toby," she thought. P
The next day, she told her mother how she met Toby. P
"You can keep him as long as you take care of him," her mother said. P
That's how Toby found his new home. P
Time went by and Toby grew older, but there was something strange about him. P
Toby didn't look like a normal dog. P
His teeth were too sharp and he howled instead of barking. P
Amanda took Toby to the vet. P
At the vet, she found out Toby wasn't a dog. P
He was a wolf. P
Sadly, Amanda took Toby out into the wild to set him free. P
Amanda knew that she couldn't keep Toby, but she felt happy because of the times they had spent together. P
Story Reading 230 2-3
I got up and turned off the alarm clock. P
I reached to turn on the bathroom lights. P
They sparked. I thought weird, but fine. P
Then I looked into the mirror and screamed. P
I was invisible! What should I do? What could I do? P
"This is cool!" I thought. P
"I can do whatever I want." I headed to school. P
I saw some of my friends, but they didn't see me. P
I went to the zoo. P
I didn't pay because no one was able to see me. P
The movie theater, the basketball game, and the amusement park-I enjoyed all of them for free. P
Life was wonderful! Things suddenly changed. I was hungry. P
I went to a restaurant, but I couldn't order anything because no one was able to see me. P
I ran to a store and grabbed some potato chips. P
A woman screamed when she saw two packs of chips floating out the door. P
I dropped them and ran away. P
It wasn't fun anymore. P
I wanted to talk, but I didn't want to scare anyone anymore. P
I told my best friend about my problem on the phone. P
He thought it was a joke. P
He believed me only when I invited him over to my house. P
We looked everywhere for a solution-in science books, online, and in chat rooms. P
People in the chat rooms laughed at us. P
I really wanted to solve my problem. P
My friend told me that I had dirt on my face. My nose tickled. P
I sneezed! My friend yelled, "I can see your face, Jack! P
You are not invisible anymore!" We jumped up and down with excitement. P
I was visible again! P
Story Reading 230 2-4
Kids laughed at John because he often looked strange. P
Once, Brad called him a bad name so John ran home in tears. P
His dad asked, "What's wrong?" P
John didn't answer. He went to his room. P
"I'll turn Brad into a snake," he thought. P
He searched on the Internet for a potion. P
He typed: "How to make potions." P
To his amazement, websites were easy to find. P
He found a potion titled "Turning Someone into a Snake!" P
It had strange ingredients. P
They were spoiled milk, rotten eggs, and leftovers. P
John started to mix the milk and eggs. P
Then he mixed in some leftovers. P
He put the potion in a small piece of chocolate to disguise it. P
The next day, John said to Brad, "I want to be your friend! Here's a gift." P
Brad ate the piece of chocolate. P
Suddenly, smoke rose up around Brad. P
When the air cleared, only a snake remained. P
John was scared so he ran home. P
He went to the same website to see how to turn Brad back into a boy. P
Luckily, John found a potion. P
He worked on the ingredients. P
A few days later, he found the snake outside his home. P
John said, "If you promise not to laugh at me anymore, I will turn you back into a boy." P
The snake nodded its head, and John gave the potion to the snake. P
The snake licked it. P
When the snake finished licking, smoke rose up. P
When the air cleared, Brad appeared and ran home quickly. P
After that day, Brad didn't laugh at John anymore. P
When any other kids laughed at John, Brad would say, "Please be nice to him!" P
Story Reading 230 2-5
My mom always says, "No matter what happens to you, someone else is in a worse position." P
I always believed her, except today. P
When I woke up this morning, the light bulbs did not work. P
There was no power. P
I got dressed in the dark, and I hurried out to catch my bus. P
I missed it, and I had to walk all the way to school. P
When I got to school, everyone started laughing at me-one of my socks was green, the other yellow. P
I really looked silly. P
At lunchtime, I realized that I forgot my lunch box. P
I went to the cafeteria for lunch. P
To my surprise, there was no money in my purse. P
I borrowed some money from Alice for a sandwich. P
My mother was supposed to pick me up after school, but she didn't. P
I had to walk back home with an empty stomach. P
On my way, I fell and hurt my knees. P
At home, I found out that my mom was very sick. P
That's why she didn't pick me up. P
Dad and I decided to prepare dinner. P
That turned out to be a disaster. P
Dad burned the chicken badly. P
There was nothing else to eat, so we ordered pizza. P
Forty-five minutes later, there still was no pizza. P
I called the restaurant to ask about our order. P
They said no order was placed. P
Something went very wrong. P
We found four cups of yogurt in the fridge and ate them. P
I was frustrated. P
But, as hungry as I was, yogurt never tasted better. P
I couldn't imagine anyone else having a worse day. P
Story Reading 230 2-6
When you have a problem, who do you ask for help? P
Some people go to their parents or teachers for counseling. P
Some go to a counselor for advice. P
Jean has a problem. P
She is writing a letter to Ellie, her counselor, for advice. P
Dear Ellie, My name is Jean and I am an elementary school student. P
There is a new girl in my school. P
She is very different from us. P
She dresses and behaves differently. P
Her hair is not combed well and her clothes are always too tight. P
She doesn't talk as much as we do. P
No other students talk to her. P
I told my friends that I wanted to offer her help. P
They said I might lose all of my friends if I helped her. P
What should I do? Sincerely, Jean P
Dear Jean, These kinds of problems happen in schools everywhere. P
You seem like a caring person. P
I agree the girl needs your help. P
I suggest you invite her to your home. P
Spend time trying on dresses or changing each other's hair styles. P
Don't forget to give her positive comments about her new look. P
Then you can know what her interests are. P
You can also help other students get to know her. P
In time, she will change and start making more friends. P
She is lucky to have someone like you who cares about her. Best of luck, Ellie P
Whenever you have a problem or difficulty talking to others, you can write letters to your favorite counselor. P
That counselor will help you to find a good solution. P
Story Reading 230 2-7
There are many soups in the world. P
Soups vary according to culture. P
However, there is one soup that transcends culture. P
It's chicken soup. P
People eat it as a meal and as a way to treat colds. P
Today we will learn how to make chicken soup. P
To prepare this popular soup, cut the chicken into small pieces. P
Put the chicken in a large bowl and remove the skin and fat. P
Wash and rinse very well with the lemon and vinegar. P
After rinsing, put the chicken in a pot. P
Peel and dice the onion, and put the pieces in the pot. P
Sprinkle with the black pepper, salt, and soy sauce. P
Cut the fresh thyme leaves into small pieces and add to the pot. P
Stir the contents well, making sure that all the ingredients are mixed together. P
Cover the contents and leave for about 45 minutes. P
After 45 minutes, place the pot on a lit burner. P
Be sure that the flame is very low so the contents do not burn. P
Stir the contents of the pot and then cover the pot. P
Leave it to simmer on low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes. P
Stir 2 or 3 times while simmering. P
At this time, add about 5 cups of water. P
Raise the heat gently and leave it to boil. P
When the chicken is cooked halfway, add the peeled potatoes cut into quarters. P
Also, add the sliced carrots and the bell pepper. P
Then, add the olive oil and margarine. P
When the contents boil, add the macaroni. P
Cook until the macaroni is tender. P
This recipe serves 4 to 6 people. P
It's delicious and healthy. P
Story Reading 230 2-8
There are some tastes that people learn to like over time. P
Some foods are just not tasty at all for many people. P
Some are just downright delicious to the taste buds. P
Pizza is one such food. P
That's because pizzas come with many options. P
There is a lot of debate about the origin of pizza. P
Some say that the first pizza was made by Persians about 3,000 years ago. P
However, the most common belief is that Italians invented pizza a long time ago. P
Italian pizzas were flat and round, much like the shape of most pizzas today. P
The people of Naples started to add tomatoes to pizza in 1522. P
They definitely made the taste much better. P
Pizzas come with a variety of tastes depending on the toppings. P
Most pizzas come with cheese, and that's why most people like pizza. P
In addition to cheese, some people like pepperoni on their pizzas. P
Others like pineapple, vegetables, herbs, and other meats. P
In Korea, some people enjoy pizza with corn, potatoes, and other tasty spices. P
Pizzas also come in many different shapes. P
Of course, there are pizzas that are round, but there are also pizzas that are square and even oval! P
Pizzas are made in different ways as well. Chicago style pizzas are baked in deep pans. P
If you don't like such thick pizza dough, thin crust pizzas will be better for you. P
You can enjoy some creative pizzas like Calzones which look like a half-moon and are filled with salami, mozzarella, etc. P
Try making your own pizzas at home, and try to be creative. P
You can create new tastes in pizzas that anyone could love. P
Story Reading 230 2-9
New Year's Day is the world's most popular holiday. P
It is popular in the world, and it is also popular in America. P
Americans follow many traditions to celebrate the New Year. P
One of these traditions is going to parties on New Year's Eve. P
People party all the way into the New Year. P
Another tradition is eating black-eyed peas. P
People believe it will bring them good luck the next year. P
Making resolutions is also one popular tradition. P
People make promises to themselves to improve their lives. P
They resolve to exercise, eat healthy, and study harder. P
Some people resolve to be kinder to others. P
Most Americans make at least two resolutions. P
Many large cities in America celebrate the New Year in their own special ways. P
In New York City, people watch the ball drop on the New Year's clock at midnight. P
Many more people watch this event on television. P
In Pasadena, California, there is the Tournament of Roses Parade. P
Many pretty floats parade the streets. P
These floats are usually decorated with many seeds and flowers. P
Marching bands accompany the parade. P
The fun does not end there. P
Beginning in the afternoon on New Year's, football fans watch major league games called "Bowl Games" on television. P
American football is one of the most popular sporting events in the country. P
By the end of the day, people are tired from the many activities they have done. P
They make another resolution-never to repeat the same things next year. P
It doesn't last long, though, because celebrating is so much fun. P
When the next New Year arrives, they will do the same things all over again. P
Story Reading 230 2-10
Some people celebrate the New Year based on the solar calendar; others use the lunar calendar. P
Though people in China celebrate the lunar New Year, Yao's family celebrates the solar New Year. P
This is because they are Chinese-Americans living in America. P
However, they still follow Chinese New Year's Day traditions. P
On New Year's Eve, Yao's grandmother writes four Chinese characters in black ink on two sheets of red paper. P
It is called a Spring Couplet. P
These characters mean, "Happy New Year." P
She puts them on the front gate to celebrate the New Year. P
Yao and his sister are given red envelopes with money. P
These envelopes are called Hong Bao. P
Yao and his sister are excited whenever they receive them. P
They jump and dance. P
When evening comes, the family eats dinner together. P
They eat roast beef, potatoes, carrots, peas, and dumplings. P
After dinner, Yao's father brings a rice cake to the table. P
They eat all of the rice cake. P
Afterwards, the family usually goes out to the front porch to watch the fireworks. P
By this time, Yao's sister is asleep. P
His grandmother goes in to wake her up just before midnight. P
The New Year is about to begin. P
Everyone watches the countdown and welcomes the New Year. P
The family does their own countdown 10 seconds before the New Year. P
As the New Year arrives, everyone claps and wishes each other, "Happy New Year!" P
Yao and his sister go to sleep excited about the New Year. P
Story Reading 230 2-11
Jenny lived with her parents and her younger brother Brad. P
She enjoyed doing chores at home and her parents gave her money for doing them. P
When she got this money, she put it in her piggy bank. P
She was excited about saving money. P
One day, she came into her room to put the money in her piggy bank. P
She was shocked;her piggy bank was missing! P
"Where is my piggy bank? Did I put it somewhere different? P
Did someone steal my piggy bank?" she thought. P
She looked everywhere in the house, but she couldn't find it anywhere. P
Jenny went back to her room. P
There, she found one of her brother's baseball cards. P
She got suspicious. P
"Brad was in my room! He probably took it!" she thought. P
She waited for her brother to come home. P
Finally, she confronted him. P
"Brad, I know you stole my piggy bank. P
Give it back to me!" Jenny said. P
"What piggy bank? I don't know anything about your piggy bank!" Brad answered. P
"Don't lie to me! I found one of your baseball cards in my room. P
You dropped it when you were in my room!" Jenny said. P
"You can't prove that! P
I didn't steal your piggy bank," Brad said. P
They started arguing. P
They were getting too loud. P
Seconds later, their mom entered the room. P
She asked what was happening. P
After Jenny explained, her mom started laughing. P
She said that she had taken the piggy bank. P
She was going to open a savings account for Jenny. P
Jenny apologized to Brad. P
Brad laughed and said, "But still, why was my baseball card in your room?" P
Story Reading 230 2-12
Gale Manson is a private detective. P
He works with other detectives to solve crimes. P
Gale and his detectives have great conversational skills. P
They are good at asking questions to witness and talking to informants. P
Witnesses are people who have seen crimes. P
Informants are people who have been involed in crimes. P
Gale and his detectives get useful information from them. P
Gale and his detectives need keen observational skills. P
Gale once examined a sofa for a fingerprint or hair for evidence. P
Gale finally found a hair which was the evidence he needed. P
His detectives had DNA testing done on the hair and proved who had done the crime. P
They always have to be very observant to never miss such important clues and evidence. P
Gale and his detectives need to have a lot of patience. P
Sometimes, it takes a long time to solve cases. P
When they search for clues and evidence, they examine sites using feelings, knowledge, and experience to solve crimes. P
This can take from minutes to years to do. P
One case took Gale and his detectives 5 years to solve. P
A child was kidnapped for almost a year and then released. P
Nobody knew who had done the kidnapping. P
Gale and his team never gave up, and they continued to search for clues and evidence. P
They examined the site again and again using all their experience and skills. P
They finally found a suspect. P
He was the criminal. P
If Gale and his team had given up, the criminal might have done another crime. P
Gale and his detectives are a good team. P
They solve crimes and this keeps us safe. P
Story Reading 230 2-13
My name is Tina, and I have a problem. P
Yesterday, I borrowed a book from the library. P
It was about dinosaurs and had wonderful pictures. P
My mom told me to be careful with the book. P
I tried my best, but something terrible happened. P
I was reading the book in the living room when my friend called me. P
I went into my room to speak privately. P
While on the phone, I left the book on the sofa. P
Sam, my little brother, crawled to the book and ripped a few pages out. P
I didn't know what to do. P
My mom would be very mad. P
I wanted to tell her something that wouldn't make her mad. P
I came up with three plans: P
Plan One: Tell my mom that I lost the book. P
She would say I am not responsible. P
Besides, I would have to find a good place to discard the book. P
Plan Two: Tell my mom I lent the book to a friend and her dog ripped it apart. P
I would get my friend in trouble. P
I would feel terrible. P
Plan Three: Tell my mom the truth. P
I think this would be the best of the three. P
My mom would be mad, but this is the right thing to do. P
Besides, I don't want to be a liar. P
I decided to tell my mom the truth. P
When I told her what happened, she frowned, but then she smiled. P
She said that she was proud of me. P
She also said I was responsible because I told her the truth. P
I was happy that I did. P
My mom took me to the library and paid for the book. P
She told me to give her the money later. P
From now on, I'll be more careful with everything, including my library books. P
Story Reading 230 2-14
Joining a public library is a very helpful way to become a good reader. P
Public libraries are usually larger than school libraries and have many kinds of books, magazines, and newspapers. P
Some even have audio equipment and movies that you can borrow. P
With a library card, you may check out library books, printed materials, equipment, or movies. P
You can keep them for a short period of time before you return them. P
Without a library card, you can't borrow anything from the library. P
Most libraries issue youth cards for children from ages 5 through 16. P
At such young ages, one has to go to the library with a parent to sign up. P
To register, you have to fill out a form with your name, age, address, and telephone number. P
A parent has to sign the form. P
Joining a library means you promise to follow all the rules of the library: P
1. Show your library card when borrowing books or equipment. P
2. You may check out three items at a time during the first three months after you have your library card. P
3. After three months, you may check out as many as seven items at a time. P
4. Checked out items must be returned within 14 days. P
5. You will have to pay a fine for overdue, damaged, or lost items. P
6. If you find lost items, you may get a refund or you can donate them to the library. P
Joining a library is useful. P
However, you must be responsible and take good care of the items you borrow. P
Story Reading 230 2-15
My Dearest Ken, You might be surprised by this letter in your bag. P
You might just smile. P
I 'm writing to say sorry for shouting at you last night. P
I hope you understand. P
When I was young, I didn't always understand my mother. P
She always told me how to behave. P
She told me when to go to bed and when to get up. P
She was worried about me getting hurt. P
One time, she said I was driving her nuts. P
That made me angry. P
Now I really understand her love. P
It helped me understand things. P
She was always there when I felt afraid. P
She held my hand and gave me warm hugs that made me feel safe. P
She put happy notes in my lunch bag. P
I was surprised by the happy notes each time. P
We curled up on the couch and watched TV together. P
She also always read me bedtime stories before I went to bed. P
I hope you are beginning to smile now. P
As I grew older, I understood her love more than before. P
I thanked her for listening to my stories and for always being there for me. P
I thanked her for teaching me right from wrong. P
Her love, always gentle and soft, inspires me to this day. P
Every night, she said, "Did I tell you today that I love you, Sara?" P
I want to be a good mother to you like my mother was to me. P
Someday, you will be a good father to your children. P
Did I tell you today that I love you? P
I love you very much, Ken. Love, Mom P
Story Reading 230 2-16
Rafer Johnson is an Olympic gold medalist. P
He is a real American hero. P
He was born to a very poor African American family in Hillsboro, Texas. P
In high school, he played football, baseball, and basketball. P
In college, he was not only a star athlete, but he was also president of the student body. P
He liked the decathlon because he was good at many sports. P
He broke the world record in only his fourth competition. P
In the 1956 Olympics, he had an injury but still won the silver medal. P
In 1960, he won the gold medal at the Rome Olympics. P
Jennifer, his daughter, barely knew that he was an Olympic hero. P
She found out only when he was chosen to light the Olympic flame at the 1984 Summer Olympics. P
She had never seen the medals her father had won. P
Then one day, when she was in the sixth grade, she was studying ancient Greece and the Olympics. P
Her father stopped by her class with a surprise. P
He showed the class his medals and told them all about his Olympic achievements. P
Right then, Jennifer knew she wanted to be an athlete like her father and be in the Olympics. P
In junior high, she started playing volleyball. P
She joined the women's volleyball team at school. P
She was not the best player on the team, but she didn't mind. P
The advice her father gave her was to do her best, no matter what. P
With her hard work, and the support from her loving father, she became an excellent volleyball player. P
She competed in the 2000 Olympic Games. P
Later, she was ranked number two in the Federation International de Volleyball (FIVB) World Player Rankings. P