Chapter 11: Talking Drums

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

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“Ke-ki-ki-ki—ke-ke-ki—ke—ke-ki-ke” sounded like “sokolaka lik k lya botema.” "This says, 'Take away the knot of the heart,'" said Uncle Baelo. “What does that mean?” Sete asked. “It is a good message,” his uncle answered. “It means ‘Don’t worry'." Sete practiced the drum sounds every day for many months.      At the same time, he learned their meanings. One day Sete saw his uncle coming from the far end of the village. Uncle Baelo was carrying something large. As he got closer, Sete saw what it was. “Are you letting me borrow this large drum?” Sete asked excitedly. “No,” Uncle Baelo answered. Sete stopped smiling.     “Do not be sad, nephew,” Uncle Baelo said when he saw that the happiness had disappeared from Sete’s face. “I made this drum for you as a gift. It’s yours to keep. Use it wisely.” Sete did not answer. As his uncle turned to walk away, Sete ran his hand over his smooth new drum and smiled.      He waited until the next day to use his gift for the first time. Uncle Baelo was fishing on the river, but he would hear the message. "Ki-ke—ki-ke," Sete began. Then "ke-ki-ki-ki— ke-ke-ki—ke—ke-ki-ke," he made his new drum say. "Sokolaka lik k lya botema."      "Do not worry, Uncle," Sete thought as he pounded out the sounds. "I will take very good care of my fine new drum. And someday I will show my own nephews how to make the drums talk."     Questions   1) What is the special axe?    A. how the practice drum is made    B. when Sete gives Uncle Baelo the piece of wood    C. which messages can be sent by the drums    D. what Uncle Baelo uses to cut the wood    2) Which words in the story help the reader know what slit means?    A. deep, low sound    B. long, narrow cut    C. special ax    D. bamboo stem   3) How is Sete different from his friends?    A. He lives in a small village in Central Africa.    B. He is one of the Lokele people.    C. He wants to understand the drum talk.    D. He learns important lessons from an uncle.

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4) Which idea from the story shows that the large drum makes loud sounds?    A. Sete would learn how to make the drum speak.    B. This way of sending messages has been used for a long time.    C. Sete's friends thought other ways of communicating were better.    D. Uncle Baelo was fishing, but he would hear the message.   5) Who taught Uncle Baelo to play the talking drums?    A. His Uncle    B. His friends    C. His brother    D. His father   6) What does the word instructor mean?    A. Worker    B. Friend    C. Teacher    D. Partner   7) Disappeared means -    A. not bright    B. moved aside    C. came into sight    D. not there anymore    8) Uncle Baelo cuts out different amounts of wood from the two ends of the bamboo so that-    A. the drum will look different    B. the sounds will not be so loud    C. the sounds will be different    D. the drum will not break   9) From what the reader learns about Sete, which statement does not make sense?    A. Uncle Baelo will teach Sete a new message    B. Sete will decide to stop practicing on the talking drums.    C. Uncle Baelo will send a message to Sete on a drum.    D. Sete will someday make a talking drum for his nephew.   10) Why does Sete want to learn about the talking drums?    A. He wants to send messages to his friends.    B. He wants to continue the custom of the talking drums.    C. He wants his uncle to make him a talking drum.    D. He wants to be different from everyone else.

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	11) Which sentence from the story shows that Sete knows the importance of what Uncle Baelo has taught him?    A. He also wanted to learn to make the drums speak.    B. Later he would learn to use these sounds to make words.    C. "I could hear you from the edge of the forest," Uncle Baelo said the next day.    D. "And someday I will show my own nephews how to make the drums talk."   12) Read the first sentence in the summary below.        Then answer the question that follows. Summary Sete wants to learn how to use the talking drums of his people.                                                    ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________   Which set of sentences best finishes the summary of this story?    A. Some of the boys are not interested in the talking drums. Sete wants to know how to make the sounds. He practices         every day for many hours.    B. His uncle gives him lessons. Sete practices every day. When he learns how to make the sounds and messages, his         uncle gives him a large drum.    C. Sete searches the forest for a perfect bamboo stem. When he finally finds one, his uncle makes him a practice drum.         His uncle also makes him a larger drum.    D. Sete's uncle gives him a new drum. Sete sends a message to his uncle. Sete tells his uncle not to worry. He will         teach his own nephews about talking drums.   Directions: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate choice - their, there, or they're. 1) Warren hates cleaning the bathroom because his brothers always leave globs of toothpaste in the sink, and      _________ dirty underwear hangs from the doorknobs or lies in damp piles on the tile floor.   2) Raymond's parakeets love to sit on his head; _________ droppings litter his shoulders like flakes of dandruff.   3) After a few ineffective swipes across the kitchen floor, Kristy returned the mop to the closet. ________ it would remain      for another six months.   4) In a frenzy of packing, the Gonzalez family even boxed their poodle, Chiquita. _________ moving into a new home      tomorrow, and everything must be ready to go.   5) Willard loves going food shopping late at night. The aisles are free of people, so ________ is no one to see him      sneaking grapes in the produce section or filching cookies from the bakery.   6) Russell and his friend Ted dived into ________ car and sped out of the parking lot. Dripping milkshake, Billy soon      followed, shaking his fist and swearing revenge at the fleeing car.   7) Lolita heaped her brother's plate with barbecue chicken, potato salad, and baked beans. _________ was so much      food that Henry needed two hands to carry the plate to the table. 8) Eboni and Andrea can spend an entire paycheck during one trip to the mall. They eat at the food court, shop for clothes      and makeup, and buy popcorn and movie tickets with ________ last few dollars.   9) Maria gasped in horror when she looked at her new leather furniture. ________ were scratches and punctures all over      the armrests from the sharp claws of her cat Brandy.   10) After the long walk in the August heat, Norman's two dogs collapsed on the cool tiles of the kitchen floor, tongues        rolling from _________ mouths in exhausted panting.
Page 4     The Story of Stickeen   Read this selection. Then answer the questions that follow it.     John Muir, author and explorer who helped establish the United States' national parks. He is best known for his exploration of the mountains of California's Sierra Nevada and the glaciers of Alaska. It was early in the morning when John Muir stepped out of his tent into the rain.      The other men were still asleep. Muir slipped some bread into his pocket and made his way toward the large glacier. He had come to Alaska to study these giant mountains of ice, which can be miles wide. As Muir walked toward the massive glacier, he heard a familiar sound behind him. He turned to see Stickeen, a little black dog, following him.     "Go away, Stickeen! Stay at camp!" Muir commanded. Stickeen only wagged his bushy tail. The dog always followed Muir, even though he belonged to another man in the team of explorers. "You never could obey an order," Muir sighed.    It had begun to rain harder, and he knew crossing the glacier would be a dangerous hike. He also knew that no matter what he did, Stickeen would follow him.      Anxious to explore the glacier, he gave up the fight. Muir started his way through the icy wilderness with Stickeen close behind. The cracking ice on the glaciers made splits called crevasses. These cracks in the ice are deep and wide. Muir knew that he and Stickeen would have to cross many of these crevasses.      One slip on the icy surface could mean death for both of them. They traveled over the glacier for hours, stopping every so often to eat a bit of bread. Muir kept a careful eye on Stickeen as they hiked.    He remembered another time when Stickeen had followed him onto the glacier. Stickeen's feet had begun to bleed from the sharp ice, but the little dog kept going. The little dog showed no fear as he followed Muir.      As darkness approached, Muir and Stickeen started back toward camp. Suddenly they came to a huge crevasse that was too wide to jump over. Muir looked down and saw a narrow bridge of ice about 25 feet below where they stood.    It was too late in the day to find another way back to camp. Muir knew that the icy bridge was the only way across. If they didn't make it back to the campsite, they might not survive the cold of night.      The temperature would drop so low, they would surely freeze to death. To make his way down to the bridge, Muir took his ax and dug out some ice near the edge of the crevasse. He put his foot into the depression.    Then he leaned over the edge of the crevasse and began cutting out another little foothold. While Muir worked, Stickeen gave him a scared look and began to whimper.     Page 5
	"Hush your fears, my boy," Muir said. "We'll get across safely, but it's not going to be easy." Muir put his foot into the foothold and leaned over to make another one. He did this until he finally reached the narrow ice bridge. He looked up to see whether Stickeen had followed, but the dog had not moved. Muir carefully slid along the bridge. He did not dare to look down at the thousand-foot drop.      When he came to the end, he again made a foothold in the ice. He made his way up the other side. Across the way, Stickeen whined loudly. Muir called and called for Stickeen to come. He knew that Stickeen was scared and that this would be difficult for the little dog. Muir called for quite some time.      Finally Stickeen, looking straight into Muir's eyes, began to cross. He put his body in the hollow Muir had made at the top of the ice.    Then, front feet first, the brave little dog slid down to the first foothold, then the second, and then the next, until he slid down the bridge. Stickeen crossed the bridge without trouble. On the other side, however, he faced a new obstacle.      The climb out of the crevasse was very steep. Muir tried to reach down to grab the dog but couldn't. Muir knew that dogs are poor climbers. He wasn't sure how the dog was going to get to the top. As Muir tried to think of a way to help the dog,      Stickeen suddenly hooked his paws into the foothold. He leaped up the wall to safety. With danger behind them, the two danced on the glacier's edge. After many hours of adventure, Muir, with Stickeen close behind, arrived back at the camp.   Questions   1) The author's description of the Alaskan wilderness helps the reader understand-    A. how crevasses and cracks are formed in glaciers    B. why Stickeen liked to follow Muir on hikes    C. why Muir went out while the other men were asleep    D. how dangerous Muir and Stickeen's situation was   2) On an earlier trip, why did Stickeen start to bleed?    A. He stepped on Muir's ax.    B. His feet had become frozen.    C. The ice had cut his feet.    D. His foot had gotten stuck in a crevasse. 3) The reader can tell that Stickeen was-    A. tough and determined    B. mean and fierce    C. old and weak    D. well behaved and shy   4) Which of these is the best summary of the story?    A. John Muir went out to study a glacier, and a dog named Stickeen followed him.         Later they had to cross a dangerous crevasse to get back to camp.    B. John Muir and a dog named Stickeen climbed a large glacier in Alaska. Glaciers         are large mountains of ice that can have deep cracks in them.    C. On their way back to camp, John Muir and Stickeen were trapped on one side of a         large crevasse. The temperature was dropping so they needed to get back to camp.    D. John Muir cut hollows in the ice so he and Stickeen could climb across a crevasse.         After many hours they made it back to camp.
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	5) Muir did not want Stickeen to follow him because he-    A. didn't like the little dog    B. knew it would be a difficult hike    C. wanted to camp on the glacier all night    D. didn't want to share his bread   6) What is a glacier-    A. why Stickeen showed no fear    B. a floating chunk of ice    C. the food Muir and Stickeen ate    D. why Stickeen didn't listen to Muir   7) Why was it important that Muir and Stickeen get back to camp quickly?    A. It would get even colder after dark.    B. It would be hard to see the crevasses at night.    C. Muir wanted to share his findings with other explorers.    D. Muir wanted to treat Stickeen's feet.   8) What does the word depression mean in this story?    A. A special climbing boot    B. A gentle warm breeze    C. A dug-out or lowered area    D. Icy cold water   9) Based on information given in this story, the reader can tell Muir's camp was-    A. at the top of the mountain    B. in a deep crevasse of a glacier    C. the icy wilderness near a glacier    D. on a huge river of ice in Alaska   10) Why is it important to know that it was raining when Muir started his hike?    A. It makes the reader feel sorry for Muir.    B. It shows why the other explorers stayed at camp.    C. It explains why Stickeen couldn't follow Muir's tracks.    D. It makes Muir's trip seem even more dangerous.   11) Read the chart of events. Which of the following best completes the chart?    A. Slid along the ice bridge    B. Put bread in his pocket    C. Jumped to the other side    D. Danced on the side of the glacier
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	Literature: The Plot of a Story The plot of a story is a series of events or situations that lead us through a story from beginning to end. Most story plots have a four-stage development: the rising action, or exposition; the climax, or turning point; the falling action; and the resolution, or outcome. - The rising action, or exposition, includes the introduction of the characters, setting, and conflict of the story. - The climax, or turning point, is the highest point of suspense in the story. This point in the story determines the      conclusion, or outcome, of the story. - The falling action presents the consequences of the turning point. - The resolution, or outcome, of the story is the conclusion or ending. At this point, the tension in the story may have     disappeared, the characters may have changed, or the conflict may have been solved. Match the words with their definitions.    __ 1. characters    __ 2. setting    __ 3. plot    __ 4. rising action    __ 5. climax    __ 6. falling action    __ 7. resolution    __ 8. conflict A. The people or beings that the action affect in a story, play, or movie. B. The struggle between two opposing forces in a story. C. The time and place in which a story takes place. D. The ending of a story, where the conflict may be solved. E. Presents the consequences of the turning point. It explores the possible conclusions. F. The highest point of suspense in a story. It determines the outcome of the story. G. The introduction of the characters, setting, and conflict in a story. H. A series events that lead us through a story from beginning to end. Vocabulary: Monosyllables, Syllables, and Syllabification A syllable is a unit of pronunciation. Each syllable contains only one vowel sound. The process of dividing words into syllables is called syllabification.    Examples: paint/ed, pic/ture, car/ni/val, mar/ket, chil/dren, vil/lage Some words only have one syllable. They are called monosyllables.    Examples: tree, boy, girl, bird, cat, dog, she, yes, no Count the syllables in each word. Then write the number of syllables in the words.    __ 1. painting    __ 2. yellow    __ 3. color    __ 4. salamander    __ 5. student    __   6. classroom    __   7. chicken    __   8. onion    __   9. dreaming    __ 10. sun    __ 11. vegetable    __ 12. chocolate    __ 13. red    __ 14. duckling    __ 15. customer    __ 16. talent    __ 17. charcoal    __ 18. feather    __ 19. mother    __ 20. sister
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	Rules of Syllabification Use the following rules to divide words into syllables. - Divide syllables between two consonants or double consonants.    Examples: vil/lage, can/vas - If the word is pronounced with a long vowel in the first syllable, divide the syllables between the first vowel and following consonant.    Examples: fa/vor, fa/mous - If the word is pronounced with a short vowel in the first syllable, divide the syllables after consonant that appears between the two vowels.    Examples: ad/mire, ob/ject - The past tense ending ed makes a separate syllable after a t or d, but not after most other letters. The ing ending forms its own syllable.    Examples: shout/ed, want/ed, go/ing, be/ing Divide the following words into syllables.    1. painting _______________________    2. talented _______________________    3. family     _______________________    4. name     _______________________    5. biggest  _______________________    6. running   _______________________ Grammar: Adjectives An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or a pronoun. It tells which one, how many, or what kind.    Examples: beautiful birds (descriptive), ten birds (how many), the tenth bird (which one), yellow birds (what kind) Circle the adjectives in the following sentences.    1. It was a long, cold, and silent night.    2. The plant has a long stem and huge, green leaves.    3. The candy is hard and sweet.    4. The strict teacher gave us a test.    5. I cannot concentrate in hot weather.    6. My sister uses a soft, fluffy pillow to sleep.    7. Mike drew a beautiful picture.    8. The red bike is in the garage.    9. The dog is fast and smart.  10. The children are playing close to the tall tree. Comparative Adjectives A comparative adjective is a word used to describe one object in relation to another object. There are two kinds of comparative adjectives, comparative and superlative. Most one-syllable adjectives form their comparative by adding     -er, and their superlative by adding -est. Also, the comparative form of an adjective includes the use of the word than after the adjective, and the superlative use the before the adjective.    Example: cool, cooler than, the coolest -Some one-syllable adjectives ending with consonants form their comparatives and superlatives by doubling the consonant before adding the -er or -est.    Example: hot, hotter than, hottest
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	- Adjectives ending with a silent e form their comparatives and superlatives by dropping the e before adding -er or -est    Example: nice, nicer than, the nicest - Adjectives ending with a y preceded by a consonant form their comparatives and superlatives by changing the y to an i before adding the -er or -est.    Example: funny, funnier than, the funniest - Some adjectives have irregular patterns in their comparative and superlative forms.    Examples: good, better than, the best; bad, worse than, the worst; little, less than, the least   Comparative Adjectives that Use More and Most To form the comparative and superlative of a word with two or more syllables, add more or most in front of it.    Examples: creative, more creative, most creative   Writing: The Descriptive Paragraph A descriptive paragraph uses specific details to convey a clear idea of a place, time, person, or object. Descriptive paragraphs show rather than tell. In a descriptive writing, the main topic is introduced, then its attributes are included in the body of the paragraph. The focus of the information in the descriptive paragraph may include the senses hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch.    Example: Sigmund makes beautiful paintings that delight us with their colors and forms. He paints tall trees with round,                      green leaves. He paints blue, brown, orange, red, and yellow birds flying above the clouds. His paintings are                      beautiful portraits of the world around us. Check the sentences you would include in a descriptive paragraph.    __ 1. Painting is a way of expressing feelings and ideas.    __ 2. The sun is round and yellow.    __ 3. The wide, blue sea looks scary and deep.    __ 4. The sisters are caring, loyal, and talented.    __ 5. Most islands have volcanic origins.   Writing a Descriptive Paragraph Drafting Draw an idea cluster with adjectives and sentences to describe this picture. Write a rough draft of a descriptive paragraph about the picture.    ___________________________________________________________    ___________________________________________________________    ___________________________________________________________    ___________________________________________________________    __________________________________________________________________________________________ Editing Read your first draft of the paragraph. Answer the following questions. What is the purpose of the paragraph? Am I writing about how the picture makes me feel? What do I want the reader to appreciate or learn from the picture. Edit your paragraph, according to what you want the reader to understand from it. Write your paragraph on a new sheet of paper. Proofreading Share your descriptive paragraph with a classmate. Ask him or her to revise it for spelling and grammatical errors. Have him or her discuss the errors with you. Next, copy it onto a new blank page.
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