A desert is a place where very little rain falls. The air is dry. The ground is dry.

1A A desert is a place where very little rain falls. The air is dry. The ground is dry. It is a land of rocks and sand. The sun beats down. The days are hot. At night, it can be very cold. A desert is not a good place for most plants and animals to live. Choose the sentence that is true. A desert is hot and dry. It rains a lot in the desert. A desert is a good place for most animals and plants to live. Remedia Publications 1 Improving Reading Fluency & Comprehension 1

1b 1. Complete the paragraph with words from the box. desert plants ground rocks rain beats A desert is a place where very little is dry. It is a land of falls. The air is dry. The and sand. The sun down. The days are hot. At night, it can be very cold. A is not a good place for most and animals to live. 2. Re-read your completed paragraph to make sure it makes sense. 3. Would you see a fish in the desert? Why or why not? 4. Pick a word from the box. Write a sentence for that word. Improving Reading Fluency & Comprehension 1 2 Remedia Publications

2A Only special kinds of plants and animals can live in a desert. They have ways to get water from the soil. They have ways to store water inside of them. When it does rain in a desert, all the living things soak up as much water as they can hold. Choose the sentence that tells what the story is mostly about. Desert animals wait a long time to get a drink. Desert plants do not need any water. Desert plants and animals have ways to get and store water. Remedia Publications 3 Improving Reading Fluency & Comprehension 1

2b 1. Complete the paragraph with words from the box. does soil store live special soak Only kinds of plants and animals can in a desert. They have ways to get water from the. They have ways to water inside of them. When it rain in a desert, all the living things up as much water as they can hold. 2. Re-read your completed paragraph to make sure it makes sense. 3. Name an animal that could not live in a desert. 4. Pick a word from the box. Write a sentence for that word. Improving Reading Fluency & Comprehension 1 4 Remedia Publications

3A A cactus plant can live in the desert. Its roots do not go deep into the ground. They spread close to the surface. When rain comes, water sinks quickly to the roots. The roots soak up the water. The water goes into all parts of the cactus. Choose the sentence that is true. It probably rains a lot in the desert. Cactus roots close to the surface soak up rain water. The roots of a cactus go deep into the ground. Remedia Publications 5 Improving Reading Fluency & Comprehension 1

3b 1. Complete the paragraph with words from the box. cactus spread deep roots parts quickly A plant can live in the desert. Its roots do not go into the ground. They surface. When rain comes, water sinks close to the to the roots. The soak up the water. The water goes into all of the cactus. 2. Re-read your completed paragraph to make sure it makes sense. 3. Which word in the story means very fast? 4. Pick a word from the box. Write a sentence for that word. Improving Reading Fluency & Comprehension 1 6 Remedia Publications

4A Desert animals must live on very little water. They must also protect themselves from the hot sun. During the day, many animals stay in holes in the ground. They lie quietly in the shade of plants. At night, the desert air cools. Then the animals leave their hiding places and hunt for food. Choose the sentence that tells what the story is mostly about. Desert animals dig lots of holes. When the sun sets, the desert air cools down. Desert animals are quiet during the day and hunt for food at night. Remedia Publications 7 Improving Reading Fluency & Comprehension 1

4b 1. Complete the paragraph with words from the box. protect night shade hiding lie little Desert animals must live on very water. They must also themselves from the hot sun. During the day, many animals stay in holes in the ground. They of plants. At quietly in the, the desert air cools. Then the animals leave their places and hunt for food. 2. Re-read your completed paragraph to make sure it makes sense. 3. You would see more animals in the desert during the. 4. Pick a word from the box. Write a sentence for that word. Improving Reading Fluency & Comprehension 1 8 Remedia Publications

5A A camel can live in the desert without drinking water for weeks at a time. That is because it makes water inside its body. The big hump on a camel s back is full of fat. As the fat is used by the camel s body, it turns into water. When the camel does find water, it drinks a lot! Choose the sentence that tells what the story is mostly about. Camels are big animals. A camel can make water inside its body. The big hump on a camel s back is full of fat. Remedia Publications 9 Improving Reading Fluency & Comprehension 1

5b 1. Complete the paragraph with words from the box. hump full camel fat inside weeks A camel can live in the desert without drinking water for at a time. That is because it makes water its body. The big on a camel s back is of fat. As the is used by the camel s body, it turns into water. When the does find water, it drinks a lot! 2. Re-read your completed paragraph to make sure it makes sense. 3. What is in the camel s hump? 4. Pick a word from the box. Write a sentence for that word. Improving Reading Fluency & Comprehension 1 10 Remedia Publications

6A An ocean is a very large body of water. It is bigger and deeper than any lake. Oceans are the biggest bodies of water in the world. Oceans lie along the sides of all the land on the earth. They take up a lot of space. There is more water on the earth than there is land. Choose the sentence that is true. Oceans are small lakes. Oceans are the biggest bodies of water in the world. There is more land on the earth than there is water. Remedia Publications 11 Improving Reading Fluency & Comprehension 1

6b 1. Complete the paragraph with words from the box. ocean take bodies more deeper earth An is a very large body of water. It is bigger and than any lake. Oceans are the biggest of water in the world. Oceans lie along the sides of all the land on the. They up a lot of space. There is water on the earth than there is land. 2. Re-read your completed paragraph to make sure it makes sense. 3. Another word meaning the world is. 4. Pick a word from the box. Write a sentence for that word. Improving Reading Fluency & Comprehension 1 12 Remedia Publications

7A The bottom of the ocean is called the floor. There are hills and mountains and flat places on the floor of the ocean. Sometimes the tops of the ocean mountains rise above the water. The mountain tops become islands. An island is a piece of land with water all around it. Some islands are big enough so people can live on them. From the story you can tell that islands form when the water in the ocean goes down. people who live on islands can go swimming every day. the bottom of the ocean floor looks a lot like the land on Earth. Remedia Publications 13 Improving Reading Fluency & Comprehension 1

7b 1. Complete the paragraph with words from the box. floor mountains enough tops island rise The bottom of the ocean is called the. There are hills and and flat places on the floor of the ocean. Sometimes the of the ocean mountains The mountain tops become islands. An with water all around it. Some islands are big above the water. is a piece of land so people can live on them. 2. Re-read your completed paragraph to make sure it makes sense. 3. Name something you see on land that is also on the ocean floor. 4. Pick a word from the box. Write a sentence for that word. Improving Reading Fluency & Comprehension 1 14 Remedia Publications

8A In some places, the ocean is so deep that light from the sun cannot reach the bottom. It is pitch black down there. The water in the deepest parts of the ocean is always freezing cold. Closer to the surface, the sun warms the water. Sunlight reaches into the water. Many kinds of plants can grow in the warmer ocean water. The plants are all colors. It is a pretty ocean garden. Choose the sentence that is true. Some of the ocean water is freezing cold. People can pick flowers from the ocean gardens. Sunlight cannot reach into the water. Remedia Publications 15 Improving Reading Fluency & Comprehension 1

8b 1. Complete the paragraph with words from the box. colors garden deepest reach freezing warmer In some places, the ocean is so deep that light from the sun cannot the bottom. It is pitch black down there. The water in the parts of the ocean is always cold. Closer to the surface, the sun warms the water. Sunlight reaches into the water. Many kinds of plants can grow in the ocean water. The plants are all. It is a pretty ocean. 2. Re-read your completed paragraph to make sure it makes sense. 3. Why can t plants grow deep in the ocean? 4. Pick a word from the box. Write a sentence for that word. Improving Reading Fluency & Comprehension 1 16 Remedia Publications

9A Thousands of different kinds of fish live in the ocean. Some fish are so small that a person cannot see them just by looking for them. Other fish are very large. The biggest animal in the world lives in the ocean. It is the blue whale. It can grow to 100 feet long. It weighs as much as 50 elephants. Choose the sentence that tells what the story is mostly about. The blue whale is not really blue. Thousands of different kinds of fish live in the ocean. Some fish are very small, and some are very large. Remedia Publications 17 Improving Reading Fluency & Comprehension 1

9b 1. Complete the paragraph with words from the box. very whale looking animal different weighs Thousands of kinds of fish live in the ocean. Some fish are so small that a person cannot see them just by for them. Other fish are large. The biggest in the world lives in the ocean. It is the blue. It can grow to 100 feet long. It as much as 50 elephants. 2. Re-read your completed paragraph to make sure it makes sense. 3. Name a kind of fish. 4. Pick a word from the box. Write a sentence for that word. Improving Reading Fluency & Comprehension 1 18 Remedia Publications

10A All kinds of boats travel on the ocean. Big passenger ships carry people across the ocean. Cargo ships carry food and cars and other things from one country to another. Sailboats travel on the ocean. They need strong winds to make them move. Some boats can travel under the water. They are called submarines. Choose the sentence that tells what the story is mostly about. Sailboats need wind to make them move. Ships are the only way people can travel across the ocean. Different kinds of boats travel on and in the ocean. Remedia Publications 19 Improving Reading Fluency & Comprehension 1

10b 1. Complete the paragraph with words from the box. travel strong submarines passenger country ships All kinds of boats on the ocean. Big ships carry people across the ocean. Cargo cars and other things from one on the ocean. They need carry food and to another. Sailboats travel winds to make them move. Some boats can travel under the water. They are called. 2. Re-read your completed paragraph to make sure it makes sense. 3. Name another way people can travel across the ocean. 4. Pick a word from the box. Write a sentence for that word. Improving Reading Fluency & Comprehension 1 20 Remedia Publications

Answer Key 1A Sentence: A 1B 1) rain, ground, rocks, beats, desert, plants 3) No; Answers will vary. 12A Main idea: A 12B 1) tiny, oceans, vapor, cools, formed, rain 3) water vapor 23A Sentence: A 23B 1) Gentlemen, welcome, ringmaster, circus, actors, stunts 3) animals and people who do stunts 2A Main idea: C 2B 1) special, live, soil, store, does, soak 3A Sentence: B 3B 1) cactus, deep, spread, quickly, roots, parts 3) quickly 4A Main idea: C 4B 1) little, protect, lie, shade, night, hiding 3) night 5A Main idea: B 5B 1) weeks, inside, hump, full, fat, camel 3) fat 6A Sentence: B 6B 1) ocean, deeper, bodies, earth, take, more 3) earth 7A Sentence: C 7B 1) floor, mountains, tops, rise, island, enough 8A Sentence: A 8B 1) reach, deepest, freezing, warmer, colors, garden 3) The water is freezing cold, and there is no sunlight. 13A Sentence: B 13B 1) thunderstorm, electricity, sparks, lightning, thunder, dangerous 14A Main idea: A 14B 1) tornado, speed, funnel, knock, layer, causes 3) windstorm 15A Main idea: B 15B 1) hurricane, water, ocean, vapor, spin, destroy 16A Main idea: B 16B 1) people, place, travel, walking, arms, carry 17A Sentence: B 17B 1) figured, slices, middle, straight, leather, easier 18A Main idea: C 18B 1) wild, tamed, hitched, moved, instead, farther 3) tamed 19A Main idea: B 19B 1) learned, tools, wagons, carriages, added, power 24A Sentence: C 24B 1) teach, trainer, patience, mean, rewards, forget 3) patience 25A Main idea: C 25B 1) every, cannot, hind, balance, trunk, dance 26A Main idea: B 26B 1) many, equipment, apart, workers, baths, healthy 27A Main idea: B 27B 1) cowboy, horses, strong, cattle, tame, enjoys 3) night 28A Main idea: C 28B 1) ranch, raised, wander, land, protect, lost 3) wander 29A Main idea: A 29B 1) saddle, leather, favorite, initials, proud, friends 30A Main idea: A 30B 1) food, buy, potatoes, chickens, people, cities 9A Main idea: B 9B 1) different, looking, very, animal, whale, weighs 20A Main idea: B 20B 1) invented, locomotive, country, many, passengers, modern 3) invented 31A Sentence: B 31B 1) machines, tractor, planter, crops, herds, stores 3) tractor, plow, planter 10A Main idea: C 10B 1) travel, passenger, ships, country, strong, submarines 21A Sentence: C 21B 1) invention, afraid, noisy, frightened, cars, popular 3) car 32A Main idea: C 32B 1) just, kind, wheat, grow, pumpkin, are 3) Halloween 11A Main idea: B 11B 1) outside, raining, very, weather, earth, happens 22A Main idea: C 22B 1) machine, crash, brothers, plane, propellers, jet 33A Main idea: A 33B 1) animal, thousands, Dairy, sell, make, cheese Remedia Publications Improving Reading Fluency & Comprehension 1