Story Reading 250 2-1
Hi, I'm Terry. I help people plan vacations! P
Are you going on a vacation soon? P
There are neat places everywhere. P
I'm used to traveling to learn about different cultures. P
Museums are the best places to go! P
Can I suggest some places for you to visit? P
I Louvre Paris! Have you ever been to Paris? P
One of the world's largest and busiest museums is there. P
It is called the Musee du Louvre. P
It used to be a palace, but was made into a museum in 1793. P
Do you know what famous painting they have there? P
That's right! Leonardo da Vinci's painting of the Mona Lisa is there. P
You can also see the famous Venus de Milo statue and Louis XIV painting! P
Make Room for Rome. Don't forget about Rome! P
The Vatican Museums in Rome have many beautiful paintings. P
Have you ever heard of Raphael or Michelangelo? P
They are well-known artists. P
Raphael helped decorate a church called the Sistine Chapel. P
Michelangelo helped paint its ceiling from 1508 to 1512! P
The chapel is amazing! You should go see it someday! P
Large in London. Another great place to go is the British Museum. P
It opened in 1753 and is a museum of human history and culture. P
The museum is used to display some of the largest collections in the world! P
It has a lot of great things to look at, but I like the mummies the best! P
Which place would you like to visit? P
I hope you can visit one of these museums when you go on a vacation. P
Story Reading 250 2-2
Dear Diary, I had an exciting day! P
I went on a field trip to the Musee du Louvre. P
We went to see what the guards do. P
Our class followed a guard around the museum. P
The guard's name was Marc. P
He takes care of the museum's security. P
Marc told us that there are about 1,000 security guards in the Louvre. P
I asked him why there were so many guards. P
He said it was because the Louvre has more than 400,000 pieces of art. P
It also has about 15,000 visitors a day. P
Many guards are needed in order to protect the visitors and art. P
Later, Marc took us to one of the exhibition halls. P
He wanted to show us how the art pieces are protected. P
That's where we saw the famous Mona Lisa painting! P
Marc was telling us about the security there. P
That was when Jason made a mistake! P
He is my classmate, and he got too close to the painting. P
He also tried to touch the glass in front of the Mona Lisa! P
Many guards came, and he got in trouble. P
People are not allowed to stand too close to the paintings! P
Next, we went to a security room. P
Guards were watching all the visitors and the art on TV! P
The guards make sure thieves can't steal from visitors or the museum. P
Marc said the museum is protected twenty-four hours a day. P
Guards really have to stay focused so that the art and visitors are safe. P
I think they all have a very hard job. P
Story Reading 250 2-3
Finland is one of the greatest places in the world to go to school. P
Many experts think it's because of their great anti-bullying program. P
The program is called KiVa, and it has been around since 2009. P
At present, about ninety percent of certain schools use KiVa. P
Why It is Special P
In KiVa, there are simple but strong things to make big changes. P
One thing is a KiVa student lesson. P
The teachers emphasize the role of the students who are neither bullies nor victims. P
They learn to have responsibilities to help a student who is being bullied. P
Another thing is an individual or a small group discussion. P
The teachers talk with the bullies, victims, and other classmates. P
This is to make all the students think about bullying and be against bullying as well. P
How It Works P
Researchers report that students in KiVa have anti-bullying attitudes. P
They also actively help anyone who is a victim of bullying. P
Ninety-eight percent of the victims said KiVa really made things better. P
It worked to reduce bullying. P
Isn't that great? As a result, the students in KiVa don't feel bad, and they even like to go to school. P
KiVa does take some time to have an effect. P
Schools should keep using it with patience as long as students are at school. P
It will be a great way to make school a better place for a long time. P
Story Reading 250 2-4
I'm Ned, and I'm a student in Mrs.Kinsley's class. P
Every Monday we talk about a new teenage subject. P
We always have good discussions. P
Then, we are put into small groups to prepare role-playing based on the discussion. P
Three days later, we act them out and talk about how we feel. P
The topic for Monday was bullying. P
So in our roleplaying groups today, one person pretended to be a bully and the other students were victims. P
In my group, Bethany was the bully. P
"Give me your money or I'll hit you!" she yelled. P
Bethany grabbed my shirt. P
Then, she put her face close to mine. P
"I... I don't have to listen to you," I said. P
"Really?" she said angrily. P
She let go of my shirt and shoved me. P
"Leave Ned alone," Greg said. P
"I'll get Mrs. Kinsley if you don't stop!" P
Mary added, "Yeah. Leave him alone." P
When Mary and Greg said that, Bethany stepped back and walked away. P
We all smiled at each other. P
Each person showed great support for the victim in the activity. P
Mrs. Kinsley said that we learned important lessons. P
She was right! We need courage to help friends who are bullied. P
Also, teachers are always there to help! P
We can stop bullies if we work together. P
We'll have a new subject from her in a few days. P
I'm excited about the next role-playing activity. P
Story Reading 250 2-5
Do you occasionally look up at the moon? P
Have you noticed its shape looks a little different each night? P
The different shapes are called phases. P
Some days it looks round and full. P
Other days it looks thinner. P
Are moon phases a mystery to you? P
Keep reading to find out more! P
Can you see a lot of the moon tonight? P
What we can see always changes. P
It is because the moon moves around the earth. P
When it moves, the positions of the earth, moon, and sun affect the shape of the moon! P
Sunlight is always shining on a side of the moon, and we can only see the part that the sunlight touches. P
For example, when we can see a lot of the part the sun touches, it looks big. P
The moon takes about thirty days to make a complete cycle around the earth. P
The first day of the cycle is called the new moon phase. P
At that time, the moon is located between the earth and the sun. P
Do you know what effect that has? P
The sunlight shines on a small part of the moon. P
That makes the moon look very thin. P
In contrast, we see something different when the earth is between the sun and the moon. P
When that happens, we can see one whole side of the moon! P
That phase is called the full moon phase. P
That is when we can see all the sunlight that touches the moon. P
Now you know why the shape of the moon always looks different! P
Story Reading 250 2-6
Aaron was in bed, and he was ready for his father's story. P
Tonight his father would tell him an interesting tale about the moon. P
It was one of Aaron's favorite topics, especially the moon phases. P
They always surprised him, so he was eager to hear tonight's story. P
"The story begins with the sun," his father began. P
"The sun was in love with the moon, and he wanted to marry her. P
However, there was a problem. P
The moon didn't love the sun! P
"So what did the moon do?" Aaron asked. P
"Well, the moon was smart," Aaron's father said. P
"She didn't want to marry the sun, so she did something very surprising. P
She said she would marry him, but only if he did something for her. P
He had to buy her a robe. P
And the robe had to fit around her waist." P
"That doesn't sound very challenging." P
"The sun also thought it was easy. P
He bought the moon a beautiful robe. P
However, it didn't fit! The next night, he got a different size. P
Can you guess what happened?" P
"It probably didn't fit," Aaron replied. P
"You're right. Each night, he brought a different size robe. P
However, it was always too big or too small! P
He was confused about the size, so he never married the moon." P
"Why didn't it fit?" Aaron wondered. P
Suddenly, Aaron laughed. P
"Oh! The moon has different phases! P
It's never the same size each night." P
"Correct! The moon tricked the sun," Aaron's father said. P
"From new moon to full moon, its size always changes." P
"The moon was really smart!" Aaron declared. P
Story Reading 250 2-7
Have you ever imagined life without electricity? P
Without it, we cannot stay cool in summer and use lights during the day or night, either. P
Even refrigerators won't work, so food won't stay fresh. P
You're lucky if this has never happened to you. P
However, there are many countries that suffer from power shortages. P
The biggest example is Pakistan. P
In Pakistan, power shortages affect people's work and health. P
In hospitals, they need a lot of energy to help sick people. P
Medicine needs to be kept cool in refrigerators. P
Also, many types of hospital equipment need power to work. P
Life is very difficult in Pakistan. P
This could happen in another country or become our future if we do nothing. P
The world has already realized the seriousness of power shortage problems. P
Many nations have started participating in activities to save energy. P
One typical example is Earth Hour. P
It is a global event where people around the world switch lights off for an hour at the same time. P
To raise awareness for the planet, millions of people across the world participate in the event. P
Another example is Energy Day. P
It is annually celebrated by sharing new ideas to save energy and awarding people for their contributions to saving energy. P
You can neither have comfortable lives nor stay healthy without electricity. P
It is something you will always need. P
Every effort to save energy will result in success with your continuing interest and participation. P
Now is your turn to join in. P
Story Reading 250 2-8
It was time for dinner. P
Anne walked out of her room and headed towards the dining room table. P
Just as she sat down, her mom asked, "Did you turn off the lights in your room?" Anne sighed. P
"Dinner will be no more than thirty minutes. P
It's a short time. Do I have to turn them off?" P
Dad answered, "Saving energy is important." P
Anne looked down and frowned. "Okay," she replied. P
Anne got out of her seat and came into her room. P
Suddenly all the lights in the house turned off! P
Anne felt like she was blind. P
She heard her parents moving around. P
Dad went to look for the flashlight. P
Anne waited in the dark. P
She could hear her parents bumping into each other. P
They had trouble seeing too. P
Dad came back no later than three minutes after he left. P
He didn't have the flashlight, but he had a candle. P
"That's better," Mom said. P
Anne got out of her room and they sat around the table to eat. P
After they were done, Anne tried to put the dirty dishes in the sink. P
She said, "I can't see, so I can't do anything!" P
Mom said, "There are many things you can't do without electricity." P
Dad added, "You can't watch TV or eat cold ice cream." P
Anne said, "I never realized how useful electricity was!" P
At that moment, the lights turned back on. P
They could see! "I'm glad you finally understand how important electricity is. P
So what will you do from now on?" asked Dad. P
Anne laughed. "I'll always turn off the lights when not in use. P
Story Reading 250 2-9
Most people have dreams while sleeping. P
Some can be very scary! P
Those dreams are called nightmares. P
People believe that nightmares mean something bad or show their thoughts and feelings to them. P
I'll tell you about some common nightmares and what they could mean. P
Can you imagine being in bad weather? P
Many people dream about volcanoes or bad storms. P
They can be very frightening, but what do such dreams mean? P
They mean that people keep remembering being under stress or pressure in their lives. P
They feel like they can't control something. P
It is just like the weather in their dreams. P
Another common nightmare is seeing dead people! P
The dead person might be someone they knew. P
It might be someone who died recently. P
Have you ever had this dream? P
What do you think it means? P
People think it means you are feeling sad or scared. P
You might be sad about someone who died. P
It could also mean that you are scared of a sickness. P
The most common nightmare is when you are being chased or attacked. P
It could be a person or an animal chasing you. P
It could also be a ghost! P
This dream shows how you are acting in real life. P
It probably means that you are scared of something. P
For example, maybe you want to avoid a mean student in your class. P
Anytime you have a nightmare, remember to ask, "What could it mean?" P
It might tell you how you really feel about something in real life. P
Story Reading 250 2-10
Alex stood on the roof of a tall building. P
He looked over the edge to see the cars. P
They looked like they were far away. P
Suddenly, they were getting closer and closer. P
What was happening? P
"Ahhhh!" screamed Alex. P
He was falling fast. P
He waved his arms and kicked his legs in the air. P
He was getting closer to the ground. P
'This can't be happening!' Alex thought. P
Thump! He landed on his stomach. P
Alex was scared, but he picked his head up and looked around. P
Then, he forced himself to get up. P
Alex looked down at his body. P
He realized that he was still alive! P
He started to jump and laugh, but then something terrible happened. P
The ground started to crack! P
It opened up and Alex started to fall again. P
He screamed again. P
Alex fell between the cracks! P
He waved his arms and screamed louder. P
"Ahhhh!" he yelled. P
Then he sat up in his bed. P
He was sweating with fear, and he felt like it was real despite the fact that it was just a dream. P
His mother ran into his bedroom. P
Alex hugged her, and he told her about his nightmare. P
"It's okay," Mom said. P
"You just had a bad dream." She told him that falling meant that he was nervous about something. P
It could mean that he felt like he was not in control of his life. P
Alex thought he might be stressed because of his school project. P
Although Alex tried to go back to sleep, he heard a strange sound again. P
The ground was cracking! Then he saw what it was. P
His pet hamster was cracking peanut hulls. Ha! P
Story Reading 250 2-11
Many people say that the most important thing to get a victory is having good players. P
However, you might know that it's not enough. P
Some players can't even get a chance to show their abilities without the support of good coaches. P
I think faith between coaches and players is the key to winning. P
That's because faith makes it possible for players to discover hidden talents and overcome any difficulties. P
Also, coaches can keep their ways as leaders even in bad times. P
Here's a real story that shows how important faith between coaches and players is. P
The baseball team, the Oakland A's coach Billy Beane, took on the job of rebuilding a team on a limited budget. P
Billy started looking for valuable, but not expensive players. P
Scott Hatteberg was one. P
Actually Scott Hatteberg had an accident during spring training. P
It damaged a nerve in his throwing elbow seriously, which caused his team to let him go. P
Scott regarded himself as a loser, and 29 teams were reluctant to scout him as well. P
However, Billy really wanted him. P
He saw the value in Scott. P
Scott was thankful for his faith. P
Scott became the Oakland A's first baseman. P
To return Billy's favor, Scott did his best and finally became an extremely important offensive player. P
Two people on the baseball team made a big change together. P
Successful coaches and players respect each other altogether and they know how passionate they are with their teams. P
Victory will be theirs if coaches and players have full confidence in each other. P
Story Reading 250 2-12
Kevin Burris, a basketball coach at Hull Middle School, was watching a game between two elementary school teams. P
He was seeking new players to scout. P
By the middle of the game, a girl playing a guard caught his eyes. P
That was the moment when her three-point shot turned the game around. P
The girl named Kathy would graduate from elementary school next month. P
However, Kathy hadn't been of offered to join any middle school teams yet. P
She always tried her best to be a great guard, but sometimes she did not play in the games. P
Kevin found that Kathy showed great potential as a shooter and not just as a guard. P
He thought she could be a great shooter. P
After the game he approached her. P
Kathy was embarrassed, but she noticed at once that he was a famous coach. P
He asked her to join his team and to change her position to a shooter. P
It was a big challenge for Kathy, but she had no choice. P
At Kathy's new school, she followed what Kevin taught her and trained hard. P
Kevin trusted her completely and gave full support to her. P
She found a talent that even she hadn't known before. P
Finally, Kathy had her first debut match as a shooter. P
As time went by, she displayed her abilities to the fullest, and her three-point shots made the games turn around. P
It was exactly this ability that made Kevin scout her in the first place. P
Kathy grew to be a famous basketball player. P
Now she is training on a national team for the Olympics. P
Without Kevin, she wouldn't have made it this far. P
Their great faith made a miracle. P
Story Reading 250 2-13
There were great advances made by explorers in our history. P
Today, I will introduce two of them who can arouse your interest. P
James Cook: Born in England (1728-1779) P
"Ambition leads me not only farther than any other man has been before me, but as far as I think it possible for man to go." P
At the age of 18, James Cook was offered to work on a ship. P
The experience was very lucky for the future explorer. P
Cook joined the British Navy using his experience and started to explore. P
On the first voyage, he discovered New Zealand and the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. P
Also, he was chosen to go around the world and explore Antarctica in 1773. P
On this voyage, he discovered present day New Caledonia, Hawaii, etc. P
He never forgot to map the places he visited, and he completed the first accurate map of the Pacific. P
Ferdinand Magellan: Born in Portugal (1480-1521) P
"The Church says that the earth is flat, but I know that it is round. P
For I have seen the shadow of the earth on the moon and I have more faith in the Shadow than in the Church." P
A boy who liked to study mapmaking and navigation became a world-famous explorer. P
His name is Ferdinand Magellan. P
By his mid-20s, he joined the Portuguese Navy and never forgot sailing on the sea. P
In 1517, he found out that most explorers thought the earth was flat. P
Magellan was inspired by such mistakes and discoveries of other explorers. P
In 1519, with the support of King Charles V of Spain, Magellan set out to explore. P
Despite his death, he proved that the world is round and not flat. P
Story Reading 250 2-14
Stuart was visiting his grandma during his summer vacation. P
The first two days were fun, but after that he started getting bored. P
He wished he had friends to play with. P
One day, Grandma said his cousin was coming! P
He was excited to see Betty. P
He knew exactly what they would do together. P
Grandma lived next to a large lake with a small island at the center. P
They had never been to the island, so Stuart wanted to explore it with Betty. P
When Betty arrived, they ran to the lake and got in a small boat. P
They used oars to move the boat across the water. P
"What do you think we will find?" Stuart asked. P
Betty smiled. "Maybe we will find treasure! P
We could be rich! What would you buy if you were rich?" P
They both thought hard while rowing the boat. P
Stuart wanted to purchase a pet. P
Betty wanted to buy a jewelry box. P
And they both wanted to give something to Grandma. P
Betty and Stuart reached the island and walked around. P
They saw many rare animals and plants. P
But something surprised them. P
Betty shouted, "Is that a treasure chest?" P
They both ran to a tree. P
There was a frog sitting next to the box. P
Stuart picked up the box and opened it. P
"Nothing!" cried Betty. P
"But don't be sad," Stuart said. P
"We got everything we wanted!" Betty stopped. "What do you mean?" P
Stuart explained, "I found this pet frog, and you can use this box for your jewelry. P
"Betty asked, "And Grandma?" Stuart laughed. P
"Well, we can tell her our exciting story about discovering an island. P
Story Reading 250 2-15
If you know anything about India, you know that it's a beautiful place. P
You would also know that they have some amazing holidays. P
One of the most important holidays of the year is the Deepavali festival. P
It's a beautiful festival of lights! P
According to legend, there was a bad spirit in the kingdom and it picked on people. P
One day, a brave man, Lord Krishna, appeared to save the people and went to kill it. P
After the spirit was killed, everyone celebrated. P
The day became known as Deepavali. P
The festival of lights is celebrated for five days. P
Each day, something different is done. P
People clean and wear new clothes on the first day. P
On the second day, it's normal to take an oil bath. P
On the third day, people light lamps in houses and streets. P
They cook large amounts of food on the fourth day. P
Finally, brothers and sisters exchange gifts and prayers on the last day. P
Unless you can't make it, you should try to see the festival of lights. P
Many stores close, but there is still a lot to do and see! P
Do you like fireworks or fairs? P
You can see them in some areas! P
Do you like candy? P
People also give sweets to family and friends. P
And you cannot forget the lights! P
People decorate their homes and offices. P
They use small electric lights, oil lamps, or candles. P
It is a beautiful thing to see! P
What are you doing for your next family vacation? P
Story Reading 250 2-16
Dear Diary, Do you know what today is? P
It is the third day of Deepavali! P
I'm very excited because there are two more days remaining! P
The festival of lights is my favorite holiday. P
My sister and I have a lot to do! P
On the first day, we helped Mom clean the house and the yard. P
The house looks neat and smells fragrant now. P
Mom and Dad wanted my sister and me to look nice too. P
So, we got gorgeous new dresses for the holiday! P
I wore my dress this whole afternoon. P
Everyone said I looked lovely! P
And yesterday, we took an oil bath together. P
Can you guess what else we did today? P
We decorated our home with lights. P
We had pretty floating candles and flowers around the house. P
I can see lights in all of my neighbors' homes too! P
Right now, everyone is waiting for me outside. P
However, I don't even have my shoes on yet! P
Now, my sister is calling me to come outside. P
I think it is time to go! Do you know why? P
My family and I are still going to do one more thing today. P
The wonderful fireworks will be displayed. P
On the last day, we will go to see my aunt and uncle. P
We'll exchange gifts with them. P
It is a tradition to give candy and other sweets to people we care about. P
It is a good way to show your love to them. P
I look forward to our visit. P
I will tell you about the next two days later. P
Story Reading 250 2-17
Do you go shopping a lot? P
When you want to buy something, you use paper money or coins to pay. P
Coins are used just as much as paper money. P
However, there is something that you probably didn't know. P
Coins have a much longer history than paper money. P
Coins have many interesting facts throughout their long history. P
Today, I'll tell you some about the most famous coins among the ancient coins. P
They are Roman coins. P
The Roman government started making such coins in 300 B.C. P
They made coins to exchange for things, just like today. P
Before then, people would swap many large objects like animals. P
Coins made trading easier for everyone. P
Romans made them with many different types of metal like gold, silver, brass, or copper. P
The value of the metal determined the price. P
For example, coins made of gold were higher value and were worth more. P
The coin-making process in Rome was so different in the past. P
Metal was gathered and heated. P
Then, it was flattened and shaped into a coin. P
When the coins were being shaped, pictures were also placed on the coins! P
Many times, these pictures were to remember different powerful Roman people. P
And Romans used the coins to send messages through wording on the coins. P
The coins were used as newspapers to announce who won battles and other important events. P
We can experience the past from the coins. P
If you like to collect Roman coins, you are collecting a great piece of history, not a just coin! P
Story Reading 250 2-18
Dillon, Lauren, and Damon were visiting Grandpa. P
It was raining outside, so they stayed indoors to play hide-and-seek. P
Besides, there wasn't anything else to do. P
"Count to one hundred," Dillon said. Damon nodded. P
He stood beside a wall and started to count. P
"No peeking!" Lauren told her brother. P
Then, Dillon and Lauren quietly ran upstairs. P
There, they saw more stairs leading up to the attic. P
They decided that they would hide there. P
There were boxes everywhere, and it made the children curious. P
"Wow!" Lauren said. "Dillon, look at all the money in this box!" P
Dillon walked over and saw a box full of coins. P
They didn't look like the coins he had. P
They looked older. P
Dillon and Lauren were too excited to play anymore. P
They went downstairs to get Grandpa and Damon. P
They wanted to know more about the coins! P
Lauren said, "Grandpa, look at all the old coins we found!" P
"What are they?" asked Damon. Grandpa laughed. P
"You found my Roman coin collection!" P
They all sat around the box and examined the coins. P
They had pictures of people on them. P
And none of them looked the same! P
Some were made of gold. Others were made of silver or copper. P
"These coins are from 300 B.C.," said Grandpa. P
"People used these coins to buy and sell things. P
But in the past, they were made differently. P
Romans would heat metal and hammer pictures of leaders on the coins. P
They did this to show leaders respect, especially if they won wars." P
"Cool!" Dillon said. "I wish I had my face on a coin!" P
Story Reading 250 2-19
Have you heard of the United Nations? P
You may have heard people talk about it on the news. P
So, what is it? It seems like it is a very large and powerful organization. P
Well, that's because it is! P
The United Nations is also known as the UN. P
The UN is a large group of countries that agree to work together to make the world a better place to live. P
That's a big task! P
The UN was started in 1945 after World War II. P
Since then, the organization has gotten bigger. P
It started with 51 countries. P
Now, there are 193! That's a lot! P
Brazil, the United States, and the Republic of Korea are some of those countries. P
They are more powerful as a united group. P
Are you wondering how the UN tries to make the world better? P
Important people from all the participating countries meet many times each year. P
They talk about world issues like how to prevent wars between countries. P
In case of child hunger, they provide full support for such children around the world as much as they can. P
Pollution is also something they talk about. P
They discuss what they can do to fix many kinds of problems. P
When they have some choices, they vote. P
The UN always watches what happens around the world in case a country needs help. P
And there is always something for them to do. P
The UN is the greatest and biggest helper in the world. P
Story Reading 250 2-20
Dear Diary, I have some exciting news! P
I was chosen to be the UN Youth Representative for Korea! P
I was busy for many months. P
I went to different schools in Korea to talk to kids. P
I listened to their concerns. P
I also found out what was important to them. P
And today, I got to meet many representatives from other countries except Germany and Russia! P
They talked to kids from their countries too. P
I liked meeting everyone. P
They accepted me just as I was. P
We talked so much the whole day that my throat hurt! P
At the end of the day, we realized something. P
We realized that the biggest problem for kids everywhere was education. P
There are many children who want a better education. P
In addition, there are millions of kids who cannot even go to school! P
Kids who can go to school are so lucky, but they don't even know it. P
We talked about some solutions to the problem. P
One idea was to ask governments to make basic education free. P
Another idea was to help raise money at our schools. P
We could use the money to build schools in poor countries. P
Although we had many good ideas, there are practical things we have to consider. P
For example, it takes a long time to raise a good amount of money. P
We will meet again soon. P
I cannot wait to finish talking about all our ideas! P
I'm so happy to be a part of UN Youth. P
I loved everything about today, even my sore throat! P