Buster raced up the oak tree to his nest. "Mother, Mother," he called.
"I need some broth!"
"No, Buster," said Mother Squirrel.
Buster flicked his tail and stamped one paw. "Yes, yes, yes! I must have some broth!"
"No!" said Mother.
"OK," said Buster, sighing. "By the way, what is broth?"
"Broth is clear soup," she answered. "Here, have a hickory nut instead." Buster took it and left. Before long, he scampered back.
"Mother, quick!" he said. "I need a tissue now!"
"No!" said Mother.
"OK," said Buster, sighing. "By the way, what is a tissue?"
Mother smiled. "A tissue is thin, soft paper. People use it for blowing noses and wiping tears. We use a shred or two in nest building, but that is all."
"Oh," said Buster wisely. He rushed on. But very soon, he was back.
"Mother, quick! Take my temperature!"
"No, Buster," said Mother. "No!"
"OK," said Buster, sighing. He tucked a stray leaf into the nest. "By the way, what's a temperature?"
His mother laughed. "People check their body temperatures with thermometers. A high temperature means a person has a fever." She peeled a seed. "By the way, where have you been, Buster?"
"Sitting on my favorite branch," he said.
"Right outside that girl's window, where you can see and hear her?" Mother asked.
"Yes," Buster said. "But today she stayed in bed and called for her mother."
"Oh," said Mother. "She probably has the flu."
"Probably,' said Buster, nodding wisely. "By the way, what is the flu?"
"The flu," said Mother, "is a sickness people sometimes get. They feel ill, so they stay in bed. They take their temperature, use lots of tissues, and drink broth."
Questions:
1. Where did Buster live?
(Question's purpose: To identify details stated in the story.)
A. He lived in a hole in a tree.
B. He lived in a nest in an oak tree.
C. He lived in a cage in the little girl's room.
2. In this story the words "stamped one paw" mean ...
(Question's purpose: To discover the correct meaning of a word by using words around it as clues.)
A. To put a stamp on his paw.
B. To kick his paw on the ground.
C. To make a mark on his paw.
3. What did Buster ask for first?
(Question's purpose: To determine the time order in which things happened in the story.)
A. He asked for broth.
B. He asked for a tissue.
4. Buster asked his mother for the broth and tissues because ...
(Question's purpose: To make an inference from details given in the story.)
A. He was sick.
B. He was acting like the girl who had the flu.
C. He was playing a game.
Answers:
1. B. He lived in a nest in an oak tree.
2. B. To kick his paw on the ground.
3. A. He asked for broth.
4. B. He was acting like the girl who had the flu.
Story printed with permission of Humpty Dumpty's Magazine.
العرض العادي
