L  a  G r a n  E n c i c l o p e d i a   I l u s t r a d a  d e l   P r o y e c t o  S a l ó n  H o g a r

Chapter 12: Huge Bones

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

 

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  What’s bigger than a school bus and had teeth up to 12 inches long? It is Dinosaur Sue! Sue is a Tyrannosaurus Rex,

or T. Rex. She is on display at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.
 

   This colossal dinosaur skeleton is named after Sue Hendrickson, the scientist who discovered it. The enormous

skeleton is 41 feet long. It stands 13 feet high at the hips. The skull alone is more than five feet long and weighs about 600

pounds.
 

   In August 1990 Hendrickson was searching for dinosaur bones on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. The

reservation is in South Dakota. It is in an area of high mountains and rugged cliffs known as the Badlands.
 

   One day Hendrickson spotted some large bones sticking out of one of the cliffs. She knew by their size that the bones

belonged to a T. Rex. Hendrickson’s discovery was the biggest and most complete dinosaur skeleton ever unearthed.
 

   Other T. Rex skeletons had been found buried in the ground nearby, but they were always missing many of their bones.

A problem soon arose, however. A judge had to settle a dispute over the rights to the T. Rex.
 

   The argument began when Maurice Williams, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe, said that he owned the

skeleton. Williams insisted that it was his because it was found on his land. The judge agreed with Williams.
 

   The Field Museum finally paid more than eight million dollars for the bones. It was worth the price. Workers carefully

took Sue’s bones out of the ground and cleaned and prepared them. The bones were then connected like a huge puzzle.
 

   It took two years to assemble them. Now Sue stands on a base of rocks in the museum. Experts have learned much

about Sue’s life. They think that the dinosaur weighed around 14,000 pounds.

 
   Scientists could also tell that Sue had been in many fights. Some of the big T. Rex’s bones were broken, and part of

another dinosaur’s tooth was found in one of Sue’s ribs. Hendrickson was at the opening day of the museum’s dinosaur

show, along with a crowd of curious people.
 

  “Imagine running into a live animal of that size!” one visitor exclaimed. “I want to touch the bones,” said a 10-year-old.

Sue’s bones are too delicate to handle. So the museum made plaster copies that visitors can touch. Children enjoy them

very much. The museum also shows a movie telling how Sue’s bones were prepared and put together.

                      

 

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Questions
 

1) Which word in the article helps the reader know what dispute means?

   A. argument

   B. member

   C. judge

   D. dollars

 

2) Why are the museum visitors not allowed to touch the real dinosaur bones?

   A. The bones might get damaged.

   B. The bones do not belong to the museum.

   C. The bones can be dangerous to people.

   D. The bones are still being cleaned and repaired.

 

3) From the article, what can the reader tell about the Badlands of South Dakota?

   A. It is a very cold area.

   B. It was once home to many T. Rex dinosaurs.

   C. It has many science museums.

   D. It is the only place where T. Rex bones are found.

 

4) In the newspaper article, the word colossal means-

   A. huge

   B. difficult

   C. lifelike

   D. missing

 

5) The newspaper article is mainly about-

   A. the skeleton that Hendrickson found

   B. the bones that the T. Rex was missing

   C. other skeletons that have been found

   D. the cliff where Hendrickson spotted the bones

 

6) How were experts able to learn more about Dinosaur Sue?

   A. They read the article in the newspaper.

   B. They studied the dinosaur's bones.

   C. They asked the judge many questions.

   D. They made a plaster copy of the skull.

 

7) Which word in the article helps the reader know what assemble means?

   A. ground

   B. stands

   C. connected

   D. price
 

 

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My Visit with Dinosaur Sue

 

  Today our class visited the Field Museum of Natural History. We went to see the new dinosaur exhibit. At first I wasn’t

interested in seeing an old pile of bones. Why would anyone want to learn about something that’s not around anymore?

First we walked into a big room. I looked up – and up and up.
 

   I was staring at the bones of a giant beast! It almost filled the room. Two huge, dark holes in its bony head stared back

at me. It was Dinosaur Sue, the museum’s Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton. Our guide told us all about Sue. He said that

when she was living, Sue weighed more than 150 fourth graders put together! He told us to look at her teeth. She had 60

of them!
 

   They were long and sharp. One tooth looked as long as my school ruler. The guide said the T. Rex’s teeth show that she

was a meat eater. I’m glad I wasn’t around when the dinosaurs were alive. I might have been lunch! As I looked at it, I

imagined what the dinosaur had looked like when it was alive.
 

   No one knows what colors dinosaurs were, but I pictured it as brownish-gray. I could see it crashing through the grass

and trees searching for food. Suddenly I realized that these bones had once belonged to a living creature here on Earth. It

made me wonder about other creatures that had once lived here.
 

   Now I understand why people want to learn about these creatures. Perhaps I will hunt for dinosaur bones someday. It

would be very exciting to find a dinosaur skeleton.

 

Questions
 

1) How does Lisa feel when she first gets to the museum?

   A. She is anxious to see Dinosaur Sue.

   B. She wants to see how long a T. Rex tooth is.

   C. She is sad that dinosaurs are no longer alive.

   D. She doesn't want to learn about dinosaurs.

 

2) What happens when Lisa sees the dinosaur?

   A. surprised by the size of the skeleton

   B. afraid Dinosaur Sue will fall apart

   C. glad that Dinosaur Sue has a room of her own

   D. confused because the skeleton stares at her

 

 

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3) How do Lisa's thoughts about dinosaurs change after she sees Dinosaur Sue?

   A. She thinks dinosaurs are not important.

   B. She believes dinosaurs were not real.

   C. She wants to touch the dinosaur.

   D. She becomes interested in dinosaurs.

 

4) What is the purpose of Lisa's report?

   A. To tell what the museum looked like

   B. To describe her experience at the museum

   C. To tell what she wants to be when she grows up

   D. To describe the students in her class

 

5) In Lisa's report, what is paragraph 3 mainly about?

   A. The way a T. Rex ate meat

   B. The number of teeth Dinosaur Sue had

   C. The information Lisa learns about Sue from the guide

   D. The guide who gives tours of the museum to students

 

Use  "Huge Bones" and "My Visit with Dinosaur Sue" to answer questions.
 

1) The newspaper article and Lisa's report both tell about-

   A. the price the museum paid for the skeleton

   B. where Dinosaur Sue was found

   C. the museum showing Dinosaur Sue's skeleton

   D. what Dinosaur Sue used to eat

 

2) Lisa's mother could not have seen the Dinosaur Sue exhibit when she was in fourth grade because-

   A. she could not afford to go to the museum

   B. the exhibit was too dangerous for the public

   C. the Dinosaur Sue skeleton had not yet been discovered

   D. scientists were still trying to put the Dinosaur Sue skeleton together

 

3) The diagram below shows events from these selections. Use the diagram to answer the next question.

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V

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V

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V

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V

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V


Hendrickson
finds some dinosaur bones.


The bones are dug up, cleaned, and prepared.
 

 


Lisa’s class visits the museum.


Lisa writes a report about Dinosaur Sue

Which of these belongs in the empty box?

   A. Lisa hunts for dinosaur bones.

   B. Hendrickson goes to the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.

   C. Another T. Rex skeleton is found.

   D. Dinosaur Sue is put together at a museum.

 

 

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A Special Christmas Present

 

  David wants to buy a Christmas present for a very special person, his mother. David's father gives him $5.00 a week

pocket money and David puts $2.00 a week into his bank account.
 

   After three months David takes $20.00 out of his bank account and goes to the shopping mall. He looks and looks for a

perfect gift.

   Suddenly he sees a beautiful brooch in the shape of his favorite pet. He says to himself, "My mother loves jewelry, and

the brooch costs only $17.00." He buys the brooch and takes it home.
 

   He wraps the present in Christmas paper and places it under the tree. He is very excited and he is looking forward to

Christmas morning to see the joy on his mother's face. But when his mother opens the present she screams with fright

because she sees a spider.

 

Questions
 

1) What does David want to buy his Mother?

   A. a special birthday present

   B. a Christmas present

   C. a spider ring

 

2) Who does David get his money from?

   A. his pet

   B. his mother

   C. his father

 

3) How much money does David take to the mall?

   A. $20.00

   B. $5.00

   C. $17.00

 

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4) What does David buy his mother?

   A. a ring

   B. a brooch

   C. a spider

 

5) What does David do with the present when he takes it home?

   A. he gives it to his mother

   B. he wraps it in Christmas paper

   C. he is very excited

 

6) Why does David's mother scream?

   A. because the present is beautiful

   B. because she doesn't like Christmas presents

   C. because she thinks she sees a real spider

 

7. Why does David buy a spider brooch?

   A. spiders are his favorite pet

   B. he loves Christmas

   C. to scare his mother

 

8. Where does David put the present on Christmas Eve?

   A. under his pillow

   B. under a spider

   C. under the Christmas tree

 


Literature: The Resolution of a Story

The ending, or conclusion, of a story is called the resolution. This is the point of the story in which the problem is solved, the characters have changed, or the action in the story stops.

Check the sentences that could correspond to the resolution of a story.

   __ 1. The rain stopped, the clouds evaporated, and the sun shone for a long time over the island while the people   
             celebrated the end of the hurricane.

   __ 2. The little boy found the source of the mysterious sounds when he opened the closet door and found Peppy with six
             puppies next to her.

   __ 3. The men stopped fighting when the entire neighborhood got together and pulled them apart, demanding for them
             to stop the violence and embrace peace.

   __ 4. Everyone thought that the mystery was solved, when suddenly they received a letter with another clue.

   __ 5. Long ago, two young brothers lived in a farm with their grandmother.

   __ 6. The best friends fought because they did not want to share the tape of their favorite singer.
 

 

 

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   Sometimes, the resolution of a story may disappoint or affect us negatively. Story ending may or may not fulfill our expectations of the main characters or of how the conflict should be solved. At other times, the resolution of a story may simply leave questions unanswered, waiting for us to fill in the blanks with our imagination.

   Explain whether or not you liked the resolution of the story "A Special Christmas Present".

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Write another ending for the story "A Special Christmas Present".

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Vocabulary: Compound Words

A compound word is a word made up of two other words. Often, the meaning of a compound word can be figured out from the meaning of the two words that form it.

   Examples: necklace (neck + lace), moonlight (moon + light)

 

Connect the words to form compound words.

   __   1. air

   __   2. star

   __   3. no

   __   4. what

   __   5. base

   __   6. birth

   __   7. bed

   __   8. butter

   __   9. chalk

   __ 10. note

A. place

B. body

C. book

D. day

E. fly

F. ever

G. board

H. ball

I. room

J. fish


To divide a compound word into syllables, divide the syllables between the two words that form it.

   Examples: no/thing, neck/lace

 

Change the underlined word to create a new compound word and divide it into syllables.

   1. snowball       _____________________

   2. headphone  _____________________

   3. homemade  _____________________

   4. seafood        _____________________

   5. backyard      _____________________

  6. earring      _____________________

  7. moonlight  _____________________

  8. bedroom   _____________________

  9. starfish      _____________________

10. airplane    _____________________



Use the word bank to make silly compound words. Next, divide them into syllables.

      hair       pin       neck       hand       ring       finger       mouth       lace       comb


   1. _________________

   2. _________________
 


3. _________________

4. _________________


5. _________________

6. _________________

 
 

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Grammar: Adverbs

Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They are often formed by adding -ly to an adjective. They answer the questions how, where, when, or to what extent.

   Examples: hard, yesterday, often, always, angrily


This chart shows kinds of adverbs and examples for each.

   When - after, always, before, during, early, lately, long ago, never, often, sometimes, soon, tomorrow, yesterday.

   Where - away, down, far, here, there, everywhere, near, out, under.

   How - badly, carefully, fast, happily, quickly, quietly, slowly, well.

   To what extent - too, very, really, terribly, extremely, quite, not.


Read the following sentences, write the adverbs and underline the verbs.

   ________________   1. The sky was close to the earth.

   ________________   2. The students walked slowly.

   ________________   3. The people moved carefully.

   ________________   4. The children played happily.

   ________________   5. The brother asked for forgiveness bitterly.

   ________________   6. "Richard, come here!"

   ________________   7. Samuel pushed the sky high.

   ________________   8. The princess runs quickly.

   ________________   9. The girl sang beautifully.

   ________________ 10. Princess Leann urgently called for her brother.


Comparative and Superlative Adverbs

Circle the adverbs in the following sentences.

   1. I bumped my head hard against the ground yesterday!

   2. I often bump my head harder than that.

   3. You always bump your head the hardest!
 

Like adjectives, adverbs also have comparative and superlative forms. Comparative adverbs are used to compare two actions. Superlative adverbs are used to indicate the highest quality or degree of two or more actions.

   Examples: I often bump my head harder than that. You always bump your head the hardest.


Some adverbs, such as the following, do not follow the usual rules to form their comparatives and superlatives.

badly  >

far       >

little     >

well     >


worse  >

farther  >

less      >

better   >


worst

farthest

least

best


Write the comparative and superlative form of each adverb.

Adverb
 

Comparative Form
 

Superlative Form
 

   1. fast

   2. soon

   3. near

   4. late

   5. well

   6. high

   7. far

   8. little
 

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

 
 

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Adverbs that Use More and Most

Adverbs that have two or more syllables use more and most to form their comparatives and superlatives.

   Examples: quickly, more quickly, the most quickly


Write the comparative and superlative forms of the adverbs.


   1. happily

   2. intelligently

   3. gladly

   4. loudly

   5. softly

   6. smartly

   7. terribly

   8. beautifully

   9. brightly

 10. mysteriously

 11. smoothly

 12. patiently
 


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Write CA next to the sentences that have comparative adverbs and SA next to the ones that have superlative adverbs.

   ___ 1. The small lion roared more fiercely than the large one.

   ___ 2. The fourth grade students worked more energetically than the fifth graders.

   ___ 3. Of all the kids in the neighborhood, you sing the most loudly of all.

   ___ 4. He waited for the news more anxiously than ever.

   ___ 5. The girl swam the most hurriedly of all.

   ___ 6. The black dog barked more softly than the others.

   ___ 7. The kids sang the most beautifully of all.



Circle the adverbs. Write BF if the adverb is in its base form, CF if it is in its comparative form, or SF if it is in its superlative form

   ___   1. The girl woke up early.

   ___   2. The students waited restlessly for the test.

   ___   3. Sean lifted the box the highest of all.

   ___   4. My sister goes to sleep later than I do.

   ___   5. Those trees grow the tallest of all.

   ___   6. Louis draws and paints beautifully.

   ___   7. Princess Leann embroiders the fastest of all.

   ___   8. Of all the teams, ours worked the hardest.

   ___   9. Jim walked more carefully than Sam did.

   ___ 10. Belle sings softly.



Write a paragraph describing something you can do very well. Use adverbs to describe it.

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Writing: Literary Critique

   A literary critique is a written report stating the analysis, evaluation, and interpretation of a literary text. It usually answers the questions who, what, when, where, how, and why. In a critique, it is important to explain why a text was evaluated in a certain way. Use the following questions to prepare a literary critique.

- What is the main idea of the literary text?

- Who is it about? What happens to him or her?

- Is the text based on real or imaginary events?

- Who is the author?

- Where is he or she from?

- Is it well written?

- Would I recommend others to read it? Why, or why not?

 


Writing a Literary Critique

Drafting

Answer the following questions about the story "My Visit with Dinosaur Sue"

   1. What is the story about?

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   2. What did you enjoy the most about the story, the plot, characters, setting, or theme? Explain.

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   3. Would you recommend it to others? Explain.

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Editing

Read your draft carefully and organize your ideas. Make sure that they are written clearly and correctly.

 

Proofreading

Exchange critiques with a classmate. Ask him or her to revise your work for grammatical or spelling errors. Invite the classmate to share with you his or her point of view on your critique.

Copy your literary critique on a blank sheet of paper. Read it to a family member and, if you recommend the story, encourage him or her to read it, too.


 

 

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