Chapter 10: A School on Rails

Read the passage. Then answer questions about the passage below.

  Proyecto Salón Hogar

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Any child who was able to get to the school car was allowed to attend, so the school car served the children of loggers, farmers, and miners in the area, too. I had 10 classmates.” “School lasted from 9 A.M. to 4 P.M., with about an hour for lunch and recess. We learned most of the same lessons as students in regular schools did.      The school car stayed for about six weeks. Then it was pushed back onto the main track, hitched to an engine, and pulled to the next settlement. While the school car was away, we did homework. When it returned, we were ready to continue to learn in our school on rails.” “Does it still exist?” Anne asked. “No,” Grandpa answered.     “After a while, things changed. School cars aren’t around any longer. More people moved into the area. New roads were built, and towns were established. Schoolhouses were erected, too. My family moved to a small town. Other families sent their children to school in nearby towns. The school car wasn’t needed anymore.”     “Too bad,” Jim muttered. “Oh, it’s probably for the best,” Grandpa added. “There was too much work for one teacher, and the time between visits was too long. Sometimes the homework was difficult, and no one could help. Still, while it was around, the school car was a special place for many of us.”     “Do you remember the children in this picture?” Anne asked. “Some of them,” answered Grandpa. “But I remember all of those cold Canadian winters! After we do the dishes, I’ll tell you all about them.”   Questions   1) How do Anne and Jim probably feel about the time they spend with Grandpa?    A. They wish the visits were less frequent.    B. They like the stories and the visits.    C. They wish he would stop talking about the past.    D. They wish that he didn’t ask so many questions.   2) The word modify means -    A. learn    B. forget    C. change    D. waste   3) Which sentence in the story best shows the reader that the place where Grandpa lived as a boy was changing?    A. They liked the time after supper when they usually sat and talked.    B. “The teacher lived in the railroad car!”    C. “While the school car was away, we did homework.”    D. “New roads were built, and towns were established.”   4) The reader can tell that there were probably times in Grandpa’s childhood when he-    A. lived in a railroad car    B. traveled with the school car    C. rode a train to school    D. was unable to go to school

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5) When the school car left for another town, the students-    A. had to work on the railroad    B. traveled to another town to go to school    C. went to a schoolhouse in town    D. were given assignments to do at home   6) What is the most likely reason Grandpa tells Anne and Jim stories about himself?    A. So they can pass tests at school    B. So they can laugh at the way things were    C. So they can learn about his childhood    D. So they can tell their friends at school   7) Which sentence in the story tells the reader that the school on rails was not perfect?    A. “Everyone knew this was a problem, but no one knew what to do about it.”    B. “School lasted from 9 A.M. to 4 P.M., with about an hour for lunch and recess.”    C. “The school car wasn’t needed anymore.”    D. “There was too much work for one teacher, and the time between visits was too long.”   8) From the way Grandpa describes the school-car program, the reader can tell he thinks-    A. it served a good purpose while it was needed    B. the school day was much too long    C. there was too much homework to do    D. not enough children were able to attend   9) How does Grandpa describe the car seating-    A. how a railroad car was made into a schoolhouse    B. the school car’s books and supplies    C. the maps and chalkboards used by the teacher    D. the seats the students sat on were comfortable   10) Why does Grandpa say that it’s probably for the best that the school on rails is no longer around?    A. He is too old to go to school now.    B. He didn’t like his teacher very much.    C. Schools are better the way they are now.    D. The school didn’t teach the same things regular schools did.   11) Why did the school car stay in a settlement for only about six weeks at a time?    A. It was too cold for the children to attend school in the winter.    B. The teacher got angry with the students for not attending.    C. It had to visit many other settlements during the year.    D. The students needed a long time to do their homework.   12) What might be a good title for Grandpa’s story?    A. An Unusual School    B. The Schoolhouse in Town    C. A Very Large School    D. The School for Grown-Ups

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	The Slouch in the Couch     It was Saturday morning, time for fun and no school, but homework on week-ends, was my teachers rule. My school books were stacked, on a table nearby, I wouldn't go near them, and I knew just why. Today was a day, to play and have fun. Go fishing, play games, and lie in the sun. But mother, she told me, "Now Rick, my young lad, you should have finished your school work last night", she was sad.      So, I sat on the couch, and I opened a pop, my mom grabbed her car keys, and said, "Got to shop." She said, "I'll be back soon, get your homework all done", I said, "right away mom", she said, "I love you, son." So I sat all alone, with my books by my side, with thoughts of my bike, that I'd love to go ride. Now when I'm alone, the house fills with creaks, it groans and it cracks, it grunts and it squeaks.      I hear all kinds of sounds, from ceiling to floor, but today was a sound, I'd never heard before. It was kind of a whine, and it sounded real near, I felt kind of strange, I think it was fear. And then the couch shook, the noise was loud, the cushions flew up, and threw me to the floor. I sat there amazed, I stared at the couch, as I watched there appear, a pink bag that said "rare". The bag opened slowly, my eyes grew real big, for within that pink bag, sticking up came two twigs.      Now from within this pink bag, grew these twigs that were red, until finally I saw, they were glued to a head. I kept looking and stared, as I calmed down my fears, you see these were not twigs, they were red fuzzy ears. A head came up slowly, I saw a small face. The mouth, it was smiling, not a tooth out of place. The face it was orange, with a blue pointed nose, the eyes were real round, and its hair was in bows.      It jumped from the bag, to the table and stood, it had a long tail, and wore shoes made of wood. Its size was three feet, an old suit it did wear, and it picked up the pink bag, with the sign saying, "rare". I couldn't believe, this thing came from my couch, and then the thing spoke, it said, "Hi, I'm a Slouch. From the world of the Magical Couch I have climbed, I've come for a visit, I hope you don't mind."      I still couldn't talk, I was glued to my seat, then the Slouch spoke again, "Say, what's there to eat? We Slouches, are one of a kind, that's our breed, we hide in all couches, we take what we need. We eat anything, and love lazy kids, we joke all the time, and steal old trash can lids." I asked, "What do you want?", he gave me strange looks, then noticed the stack of my homework school books.      He smacked his blue lips, as my school books he grabbed, then ran out the door, with the lunch he had nabbed. I yelled, "Come back here Slouch!", as I jumped to my feet, and ran out the door, and onto the street. "Come back with my school books, that's homework, not food", but the Slouch only laughed, he was being quite rude. Now Mildred McGee, was a neighbor of mine, but I called her Milly, we got along fine.      The Slouch passed her house, and when I grew near, I yelled, "Milly please help", "Milly help me out here!!" Milly opened her window, "I'll help if I can", then asked, "What is the matter?", I yelled as I ran. "A Slouch from my couch, stole all of my books, don't ask any questions, don't give me those looks." So Milly, she followed, a silence was heard, she was truly a friend, never questioned my word.
Page 4        We chased after the Slouch, to the stores he did run, and now that old Slouch, was about to have fun. Mr. Brubaker owned, the best, "sweet" shop in town, he loved to make candies, and twice won a crown. The Slouch entered Brubaker's shop with a crash, and was running so fast, he knocked over the trash.      The Slouch picked up candies and sweets as he fled, and as he ran out, he laughed and he said, "We Slouches eat anything, yes we all do, but lazy kids school books are best, this is true". He ran out the back of the small candy store, with Milly and I close behind, through the door. The alley was at the back door of the shop, and as I ran out, I yelled, "Hey Slouch, you stop!!"   But he didn't listen, he'd just laugh then he'd say, "Keep chasing me all, you'll be running all day." But then that old Slouch had a bit of bad luck. He ran right in front of a red Fire Truck. The truck honked its horn and the Slouch almost fell, he tripped on the curb, and he gave out a yell. But he jumped right back up, and his step didn't sag, the only thing was, he had dropped the pink bag. I stopped at the bag as the Slouch ran away, and I thought, maybe now, I can make that Slouch pay.      But before I could even, think that one tiny thought, the bag, it self-opened, and smell good it did not. It had the bad odor, of a dirty old sock, and then a creature popped out, and said, "Hi, I'm a Grock!" Milly she jumped screaming, "Rick, what is that?" I said, "That is a Grock", and it looked rather fat. It was two shades of blue and much smaller than a Slouch, with no tail at all, and was far from a grouch.      The Grock, it was nice, and it looked pretty cute, it had very small ears, and was wearing a suit. It said, "Hi, I'm Grock One, and you're chasing a Slouch, we keep Slouches in line, when they climb out of the couch.      But, if a Slouch meets a lazy boy or a girl, then there will be trouble, up here in your world". I said, "Well then, Grock One, this may be very true, but this Slouch stole my school books, what am I to do"? Grock One sat and thought, then he finally yelled, "Yes", then he looked in my eyes, "I'll get you out of this mess"!!      He jumped from the bag and yelled, "Calling all Grocks"!! "Grock two and Grock Three, I need all of my flock"! I was took by surprise, "Grock One, are there more"?, he just smiled as he called out, Grock 194. The Grocks filled the sidewalk, all colors and tops, some hair were combed neat, while others were mops. Grock One took command, as he said to his breed, "There's a Slouch on the loose, and this world must be freed"!! Now, Milly and I had stopped chasing the Slouch.      So, where should we look, for the Slouch from the couch. The Grocks, all spread out, to search everywhere, but a needle in a haystack would be better odds here. I thought and I thought, as I walked down the street, I stared at the sidewalk, and down at my feet. Then, suddenly, Milly and I stopped real quickly. We looked at each other, this Slouch wasn't slick!      She said, "Know what I think?", I said, "Yep, in my mind, a creature of habit, is easy to find". So we started our search, until we found what we sought, Mr. Lu's furniture shop, where the couch had been bought. I screamed, "Calling all Grocks, come here to our site, Mr. Lu's furniture shop, is open all night". Now if I were a Slouch, getting ready to eat, and want to enjoy, my evening treat.   Page 5
	Then I would search for, my favorite place, somewhere I'd call home, a room to embrace. I looked in the store and was feeling quite tall, as I stared at a couch, that sat against the back wall. I said, "Grock One it's time, to show me your stuff", so he called all his Grocks, and that couch they did rough.      The stuffing flew, they tore up that new couch, then Grock One yelled out, "We got us a Slouch"!! I walked in with Milly, the Slouch was at ease, and Milly said, "Rick, you sure did not tease". "I thought you were joking, about your old couch, but now I can see, there in fact is a Slouch". I walked to the Slouch, he kept giving me looks.      I said, "All right now Slouch, give me back my school books". He handed me all of my books with no fight, my English book though, he had taken a bite. I handed Grock One the pink bag with a grin, and all of the Grocks, they jumped right back in! I then asked Grock One, "Your mystery please share, just what's with this bag, with the sign that says "Rare"?”      Grock One he replied, "This bag is a door, to the World of The Magical Couch, and much more". Well, I was confused, didn't know what to think, so I said, "sure you're right", and gave him a wink. I turned, and I left the Slouch right where he sat, with Grock One and the bag, thinking, well that was that.      Now, it's been a while since, this story took place, and life has been easy, no worries to face. But on week-ends my homework is done Friday night. On Saturdays and Sundays there's no homework in sight. And a Slouch never ever, will lead me on a chase. For the Slouch in the couch took me for my last race!   FLOCK - A large group of certain animals that live and eat together.   GROUCH - To be in a bad mood. Always complaining about something.   SAG - To lose firmness or strength. Weakened through weariness, age, etc...   ODOR - Any smell, good or bad.   LOCAL - A place which is within a certain area.   NABBED - A slang word meaning to take or seize suddenly.   RUDE - A lack of consideration. Having no respect or manners. To be impolite.   NOTICED - To see something, or pay attention to something.   EMBRACE - To accept readily.   SEARCH - To look for. To try to find something.
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	Correct the misspelled words or write correct.   1) thankks   ________________ 2) benfit      ________________ 3) never      ________________ 4) mistery    ________________ 5) bicicle     ________________     Directions: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate choice - their, there, or they're.   1) Unable to tolerate the dust one moment longer, Elizabeth spent the afternoon cleaning the living room tables and shelves. Now __________ slippery with furniture polish, glowing in the sunlight that spills through the open window.   2) "Oh, no! _________ are lima beans on my plate!" screamed Noel before he fainted with a thud on the dining room floor.   3) Nothing makes Diane’s cat Big Toe Joe happier than a laundry basket full of fresh warm towels. _________ he will sleep, purring in contentment and shedding long white hair on the clean terry cloth.   4) Mrs. O'Shea spent the day steam cleaning the living room floor. Now her children can hardly find the kitchen without __________ trail of dirty footprints leading the way.   5) Dolly hates dogs more than snakes or cockroaches. She believes that canines are loathsome creatures because _________ only goal in life is to kill her front lawn with urine.   6) Behind the sofa _________ is a collection of desiccated broccoli spears that Simon, the family cocker spaniel, carries away for Noel, who cannot stomach the vegetable.   7) The knives in Roseanne's kitchen are encrusted with bits of brownie and smears of dried mustard. _________ is no way a doctor would ever consider operating with any instrument that Roseanne had washed!   8) Bentley, our neighbor's basset hound, has toenails that are so long that ________ curled like macaroni noodles at the ends of his paws.   9) Noel carefully sliced each Brussels sprout in half, carefully scrutinizing the heart of the little cabbage. He always worries that ________ might be a worm buried in the middle.   10) Casey and Tamara had plenty of privacy for kissing because _________ were six sheets drying on the clothesline in the backyard.
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	Literature: The Setting of a Story The setting of a story is the time and place in which the story takes place. It is where and when the characters develop the action of the story.                 Examples: Robert is spending time with his son. The action is this picture takes place outside.   Write a paragraph describing the setting of the story "The Slouch in the Couch".    __________________________________________________________________________________________    __________________________________________________________________________________________    __________________________________________________________________________________________    __________________________________________________________________________________________ Write a paragraph describing the setting of where you are right now.    __________________________________________________________________________________________    __________________________________________________________________________________________    __________________________________________________________________________________________    __________________________________________________________________________________________   Vocabulary: Cardinal Numbers The numbers that we use to count with are called cardinal numbers. They are also called counting numbers. In mathematics, a cardinal number is one way to measure the size of a set. They indicate quantity, not sequence.    Examples: one, two, three, four This table presents the written forms of some cardinal numbers.    0 - zero    1 - one    2 - two    3 - three  10 - ten  11 - eleven  12 - twelve  13 - thirteen  14 - fourteen  15 - fifteen  20 - twenty  21 - twenty-one  22 - twenty-two  30 - thirty  40 - forty  50 - fifty 100 - one hundred 101 - one hundred one 200 - two hundred 201 - two hundred one 1000 - one thousand 10,000 - ten thousand 100,000 - one hundred thousand 1,000,000 - one million Finish the series using cardinal numbers.    1. ten, twenty, _________________, _________________    2. one hundred, ____________________, one hundred two, _____________________    3. one thousand, ____________________, three thousand, _____________________    4. twenty-one, ____________________, ____________________, twenty-four    5. two hundred, four hundred, six hundred, ____________________    6. one thousand, one thousand one, ______________________    7. one million, two million, three million, ______________________
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	Ordinal Numbers Ordinal numbers are used as adjectives that describe the numerical position or sequence in a set of objects. In mathematics, ordinal numbers are used to express the position in an ordered sequence.    Examples: first, second, third, fourth This table presents the written forms of some ordinal numbers.    1st - first    2nd - second    3rd - third    4th - fourth    5th - fifth    6th - sixth    7th - seventh    8th - eighth    9th - ninth  10th - tenth  11th - eleventh  12th - twelfth  13th - thirteenth  14th - fourteenth  15th - fifteenth  16th - sixteenth  17th - seventeenth  18th - eighteenth  19th - nineteenth  20th - twentieth  30th - thirtieth  40th - fortieth  50th - fiftieth  60th - sixtieth  70th - seventieth  72nd - seventy-second  80th - eightieth  83rd - eighty-third  90th - ninetieth  99th - ninety-ninth Write O for ordinal numbers and C for cardinal numbers. Then write out the number.    __ 1. eighteen      _____    __ 2. twenty          _____    __ 3. seventy        _____    __ 4. sixteenth      _____    __ 5. second        _____    __ 6. fortieth         _____    __ 7. thirty-first     _____    __ 8. ninety          _____      __   9. thirteenth            _____    __ 10. thirty-one            _____    __ 11. forty-four             _____    __ 12. one hundred       _____    __ 13. fourteen              _____    __ 14. fifty-fourth            _____    __ 15. sixteen                _____    __ 16. ninth                    _____     Grammar: The Simple Past Tense The simple past tense of a verb shows an action or condition has already happened.    Examples: traveled, danced, visited Read the sentences and write the simple past tense verbs.    ________________ 1. The dog barked all night long.    ________________ 2. Janet walked to school in the morning.    ________________ 3. You opened the door.    ________________ 4. My mother stayed awake all night.    ________________ 5. I called you an hour ago. Regular Verbs Most verbs follow a regular pattern in the simple past tense. These verbs are called regular verbs. The following rules allow you to form the simple past tense of a regular verb. - The simple past tense is generally formed by adding ed to the verb.    Example: travel + ed = traveled - If the verb ends with an e, just add a d.    Example: dance + d = danced - When a one-syllable verb ends with a consonant, double the consonant and add ed.    Example: nap + p + ed = napped - When a verb ends with a y preceded by a consonant, change the y to an i and add ed.    Example: cry = cri + ed = cried
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	Irregular Verbs Verbs that do not follow the usual pattern in the simple past tense are called irregular verbs. To use this correctly, you have to memorize them. Here is a list of some irregular verbs. awake: awoke bite: bit buy: bought do: did eat: ate fight: fought get: got have: had let: let put: put run: ran sleep: slept be: was, were break: broke catch: caught draw: drew fall: fell find: found give: gave hear: heard lose: lost read: read say: said stand: stood bear: bore bring: brought choose: chose drive: drove feed: fed fly: flew go: went know: knew made: made ride: rode see: saw take: took begin: began build: built come: came drink: drank feel: felt forget: forgot grow: grew leave: left meet: met ring: rang sing: sang write: wrote Finish the sentences using verbs in simple past tense and use the irregular verbs in parenthesis.    1. I __________ (make) the cake.    2. Yesterday he __________ (write) a letter.    3. She __________ (read) the book yesterday.    4. The dog __________ (bite) his leg.    5. You __________ (bring) a cake!    6. They __________ (sing) an hour ago.    7. The phone __________ (ring) for an hour.    8. We __________ (meet) at school. Writing: The Closing Sentence of a Paragraph The closing sentence is the last sentence of a paragraph. It restates or summarizes the main idea of the paragraph. To write a closing sentence, summarize the main idea using new words.    Example: [Topic sentence] Traditions help to convey the history and feelings of a people to younger generations.                      [Closing sentence] So, traditions are a way of teaching others about the values of a culture. Writing a Paragraph about Your Favorite Tradition Drafting Brainstorm about, make an idea cluster about, or list the traditions you have observed. Use your favorite. Write a paragraph in your notebook explaining why the tradition you chose is your favorite.   Editing Reread your paragraph. Compare the topic sentence and the closing sentence to make sure they complement each other. Eliminate or replace unnecessary words.   Proofreading Ask a classmate to read your paragraph and to revise it for grammatical or spelling errors. After he or she has revised it, ask him or her to discuss the errors with you. Copy the revised version of your paragraph on the lines below.    __________________________________________________________________________________________    __________________________________________________________________________________________    __________________________________________________________________________________________    __________________________________________________________________________________________    __________________________________________________________________________________________    __________________________________________________________________________________________    __________________________________________________________________________________________ Draw a picture to illustrate your favorite tradition on a piece of paper. Share your paragraph and picture with the class.
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