READING EXERCISE 5

Anoka, Minnesota: The Halloween Capital of the World 

A Local Legacy

Did you know that Halloween has a capital? Anoka, Minnesota, calls itself the "Halloween Capital of the World," as it is one of the first cities in the United States to put on a Halloween celebration that discourages people from playing tricks or causing trouble.

In 1920, a weeklong celebration was started in Anoka in an effort to take the trick out of trick-or-treat. The Grand Day Parade includes a Mass Band, made up of bands from four high schools. Another featured event is the Gray Ghost 5K Run, inspired by sightings of Bill Andberg, a marathon runner in his 70s whose gray-clad ghostly figure can often be seen running through a local cemetery.

There are many competitions during the week, including a pumpkin bake-off and one for best Halloween house decorations. Most participants wear their Halloween costumes. Do you suppose people wear the same costumes all week long? 

Now answer the next questions:

1. Who inspired the Gray Ghost 5K Run?

2. During the celebration week, what kinds of competition are there?

READING EXERCISES 4

Tornadoes in Kansas

Kansas is known for many things -- wheat, sunflowers ... and tornadoes! What famous story set in Kansas features a tornado?

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, tells the story of Dorothy, who gets caught in a Kansas tornado and lands in the imaginary land of Oz. This story has been dramatized on stage and film. You might have seen the movie version, which stars Judy Garland as Dorothy.

Tornadoes are storms with rapidly rotating winds that form a funnel cloud. Also known as "twisters," they extend downward from the huge clouds of a severe thunderstorm. The winds that rotate within a tornado usually reach a speed of almost 300 miles per hour! A tornado often sweeps through an area quickly, but it can cause considerable destruction. There have been a number of remarkable reports of tornadoes. In one instance, a schoolhouse was demolished while the 85 students originally inside it were carried more than 400 feet with none killed. There was also a case of five railway coaches, each weighing 70 tons, lifted from their tracks. 

1. What is Kansas known for?

a. wheat

b. potatoes

c. sunflowers

d. a and c

2. How fast do the winds rotate within a tornado?

a. 85 miles per hour

b. 400 miles per hour

c. 300 miles per hour

d. 70 miles per hour

3. Tornadoes are also known as

a. thunderstorms

b. typhoons

c. tempests

d. twisters

4. Which of the following statements is true?

A. Eighty-students died when a tornado struck their schoolhouse.

B. A tornado lifted five heavy railroad coaches from their tracks.

READING EXERCISES 3

Friendship

 Vocabulary 
 spouse- husband or wife 
 bond- connection, something that makes two things stick together 
twin spirit- someone very similar to you 
stranger- someone you don't know at all 
acquaintance- someone you don't know very well 
right away- immediately 
in common- things that you like or dislike are the same 

Reading

Quotes about friendship:

Friendship is one mind in two bodies.
Your friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you.
A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.

Some friends come into our lives for just a short time. Others come and stay forever. Think about your closest friends. How long have you known each other? Some people say that their spouse or family member is their best friend. Others say they have known their closest friends for many years. And some great friends haven't known each other all that long, but knew right away that there was a connection, or bond, between them. Could it be that there is a twin spirit out there for each of us?

What turns a stranger or acquaintance into a friend? Do you know right away if you are going to like someone? Some people think that any stranger can become a friend if they spend enough time together. That may be true for some people. But one thing most of us agree on is that true friendships seem to happen when people have something in common. Perhaps we see a part of ourselves in our friends. Maybe seeing the good in them helps us to see the good in us as well.

True or False Check your answers by clicking on the arrow below.

According to the article...

1. Your husband or wife cannot be your best friend.

 True
 False

2. Many friends feel a connection when they first meet.

 True
 False

3. Every person definitely has a twin spirit.

 True
 False

4. A stranger is the same as an acquaintance.

 True
 False

5. A stranger is the same as a friend.

 True
 False

6. Most friends have similar likes and dislikes.

 True
 False