Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

Have you ever listened to young children talking in the playground? They are always boasting. They say things like, "My Dad's car is bigger than your Dad's," and "My Mom is smarter than yours." They particularly like to boast about their families.

There were three little boys, Harry, Ted and Gavin, who were always boasting. Gavin was the worst. Everything about his family was always the best or the biggest or the most expensive.

Whatever the others said, he could always go on better. One day when they were walking to

school, Harry said, "My father had a bath twice a week," Ted spoke next. "That's nothing," he said. "Having a bath twice a week is dirty. My father has a bath every day, sometimes twice a day." Ted looked at Gavin. Now it was his turn. But what could he say? "This time," Ted thought, "I'm going to win." Gavin didn't know what to say. He couldn't say that his father had a bath three times a day. That was silly. He walked on in silence. Ted smiled at Harry, and Harry smiled back. They were sure that for once they had beaten Gavin. They reached the school gates. Still Gavin said nothing. "We've won," Ted said to Harry, but he spoke too soon. On the way home, Gavin said, "My Dad is so clean that he doesn't have to bathe at all."

1. Where were the boys walking to when Harry started talking about his father?
2. Who was he boasting about?
3. What did he say his dad had had two of that week?
4. Who thought his dad was better than Harry's?
5. How often does Ted's dad take a bath?
6. Only once a day?
7. Whose turn was it to boast next?
8. Did he say anything?
9. What would it be if he said his dad bathed three times a day?
10. Did Gavin know what to say right then after Ted had finished talking?
11. Did Harry and Ted think they'd finally beat Gavin?
12. Had Gavin said anything before they reached the school gates?
13. When did Gavin finally speak?
14. Did he say his dad was cleaner or dirtier than the other boys' dads?
15. How often did Gavin boast his father had to wash himself?
16. Were Harry, Ted and Gavin little boys or little girls?
17. Were any of their parents divorced?
18. Has one of the boys ever said their mom was smarter?
19. What did one of the boys previous brag that their dad's was bigger?
20. Did the boys like talking about their families?

Numbered answers:

A: 1. school
2. his father
3. baths
4. Ted
5. every day
6. sometimes twice a day
7. Gavin's
8. yes
9. silly
10. no
11. yes
12. no
13. On the way home
14. cleaner
15. he said he doesn't have to bathe at all
16. little boys
17. unknown
18. unknown
19. unknown
20. yes

Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

One day the Smith family went to the zoo. Ann Smith rode her bike from place to place. Joe Smith crawled everywhere he went. Their parents, Katie and Mike Smith, walked. After visiting many animals they all met up at the monkey cage. There was a long line to feed the monkeys. The line was so long that Joe fell asleep for a bit. Finally, it was time for the Smith family to feed the monkeys. The daughter, Ann, feed the monkeys a banana. The son, Joe, fed the monkeys a cracker. The mother, Katie, fed the monkeys a piece of cheese. The father, Mike, fed the monkeys an apple.

After the monkeys were done eating the zoo worker told them to pick their favorite treat, and give the person who gave it to them a hug. The monkeys all hugged Joe. Joe's parents were proud of him for picking the treat he liked best. As a reward, they gave him a special prize. Joe got the bike he had always wished for. At the end of the day he left the zoo a very happy child.

1. Who went somewhere?
2. Where did they go?
3. What did they do when they arrived?
4. Did they do anything with the monkeys?
5. Did anyone give them a banana?
6. Did they like the it best?
7. What did they like best?
8. Who gave them crackers?
9. Who is Joe?
10. How did they know the monkeys enjoyed the crackers the most?
11. All of them?

Numbered answers:

A: 1. The Smith family
2. the zoo
3. Visited many animals, then met up at the monkey cage.
4. They fed them.
5. Ann did.
6. No.
7. Crackers.
8. Joe.
9. The son.
10. The Monkeys were told to hug whoever gave them their favorite, and they hugged Joe.
11. Yes.

Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

When I first saw the bookAlice in Lace, I thought I was going to like it. And as it turned out, I love it! I love books about life and being a kid. And Alice in Laceis just that kind. It's a humorous book about being thirteen and the problems kids might face. Alice and her friends get a strange assignment from their totally cool teacher, Mr. Everett. It was like playing the game of "Life," but you had to act it out.

So Pamela is pregnant, Elizabeth buys a car and Alice gets married. Well, of course, Pamela wasn't really pregnant, but she walked around with a pillow under her shirt to get people's reactions. Elizabeth didn't really buy a car, but she went to the car lot and made the sales guy think she was. The whole class got assignments like these! I would love to do something like that for school.

In the book Alice has a lot to think about. "Getting married is hard!" Alice says. She has to plan the ceremony, the honeymoon, find a place to live, pay for furniture and two months' rent and food. Maybe she and her "husband" could work it out -- if they were getting on fine!

Although this book was funny, it really made me think about how problems like these could really mess up your life. Take teenage pregnancy for example. How could you have a baby and stay in school? You couldn't find a babysitter every day to stay with your kid. A child really consumes your life. I understand what the teacher was trying to do. He was trying to discourage the class from getting into these problems by giving them a glimpse of life. As someone about to become a teenager myself, I can say sometimes a story makes you think about what's up ahead.

Overall, I would say this book is wonderful. My favorite part of the book is discovering that if I like it, there are seven other Alice books I can check out at my local library. I love this book, and I hope you will too.

1. who was in Lace?
2. What was the name of the book?
3. What was the favorite part?
4. How many more books in the series?
5. Where are they available?
6. What was one of problems in the book?
7. Did the teacher expect students not to have child early?
8. Did the story tell you about the upcoming events?
9. What Alice thought hard?
10. What she had to think early about that?
11. anything else?
12. Did it talk about paying?
13. what?
14. Anything else?
15. Was the book entertaining?
16. Who was pregnant?
17. Who is getting married?
18. Anyone buying a vehicle?
19. Who?
20. How was the teacher?
21. What

Numbered answers:

A:
1. Alice
2. Alice in Lace
3. discovering that if I like it
4. seven
5. local library
6. teenage pregnancy
7. yes
8. yes
9. Getting married
10. plan the ceremony
11. find a place
12. yes
13. furniture
14. rent and food
15. yes
16. Pamela
17. Alice
18. yes
19. Elizabeth
20. cool
21. Mr. Everett