Reading sponge 3 SB

Unit 1 • Ben’s Plant 7Words to Read Match the pictures with the words.. Think and Share Think and Draw Draw pictures of the growing process of a sunflower.. Think and Share Think and

33

Captivating images to help predict the story before

reading, and to broaden background knowledge.

High-Frequency Words

Draws attention to 3 high-frequency words in each unit to build up reading fluency.

Take a Look!

Pictures or messages hidden in the illustrations build up more interest in reading.

Quick Check-Up

One-sentence statements to check accuracy and speed in reading the context.

Check for Understanding

Comprehension questions to strengthen accuracy and speed in reading the context.

Talk Together Speaking exercises to practice presenting to the class or to discuss with friends

Contents Contents

Unit 01 Ben’s Plant ··· 07

Fiction / Science / Story Map

Unit 02 A Monster Plant ··· 11

Fiction / Science / Identifying Details

Unit 03 Tree Rings ··· 15

Fiction / Science / Summarizing

Unit 04 A Plant’s Body ··· 19

Nonfiction / Science / Identifying Details

Unit 09 Insects in the Garden ··· 39

Fiction / Science / Classifying

Unit 10 Carl the Caterpillar ··· 43

Fiction / Science / Sequencing

Unit 11 Beetle and Spider ··· 47

Fiction / Science / Compare and Contrast

Unit 12 Jean-Henri Fabre ··· 51

Nonfiction / Science / Analyzing Characters

Unit 13 Yard Sale ··· 55

Fiction / Social Studies / Story Map

Unit 14 The Giant Pumpkin Contest ··· 59

Fiction / Social Studies / Making Predictions

Unit 15 At a World Food Fair ··· 63

Fiction / Social Studies / Identifying Details

Unit 16 Marco Polo and Kites ··· 67

Nonfiction / Social Studies / Sequencing

Unit 17 The Milky Way ··· 71

Fiction / Science / Identifying Characters

Unit 18 My Special Friend ··· 75

Fiction / Science / Identifying Details

Unit 19 A Letter From Mars ··· 79

Fiction / Science / Compare and Contrast

Unit 20 Outer Space ··· 83

Nonfiction / Science / Identifying Details

Unit 05 The Sphinx’s Riddle ··· 23

Fiction / Social Studies / Story Map

Unit 06 On a Safari ··· 27

Fiction / Social Studies / Making Predictions

Unit 07 Dracula’s Castle ··· 31

Fiction / Social Studies / Cause and Effect

Unit 08 Vatican City ··· 35

Nonfiction / Social Studies / Identifying Details

Flowers and Plants

Insect Kingdom

Culture

Space

Travel and Adventure

Unit 1 • Ben’s Plant 7

Words to Read

Match the pictures with the words

Ready to Read

Look at the picture

and answer the

questions.

1 Where is the boy?

2 What does the

man give to the boy?

Theme:

Flowers and Plants

Related Subject: Science

Ben’s Plant

whisperbloomwatersoilplantseed

Fiction

Ben’s

Plant

02

8 Unit 1 • Ben’s Plant 9

Check for Understanding

Fill in the chart

Choose the best answers

1 The story is mainly about Main Idea

a buying some flowers

b watering flowers every day

c growing sunflowers from the seeds

2 Ben gets some from Mr Green

a seeds b flowers c pots

3 How often does Ben water it?

a every day b every two days c every three days

4 What flower does the seed come from?

a b c

Mr Green gives Ben some seeds.

“What are they?” asks Ben.

“Plant them and see,” says Mr Green

Ben puts soil in a big pot.

He plants the seeds in the pot

He waters it every three days

He waits and waits.

One day, little leaves come out

They grow and have bright yellow heads.

Finally, the flowers bloom

“I know you,” Ben whispers.

Ben’s sunflowers wave at him.

High-Frequency Words give every out

1 Ben buys some seeds at the flower shop.

2 Ben doesn’t have a big pot.

3 Ben needs soil to plant seeds.

Mr Green’s flower shop and Ben’s home

Place

Ending

Events

and

Characters

Take a Look!

A bug is hidden in the

picture What is it?

It’s a .

03-04

10 Unit 2 • A Monster Plant 11

1 What is the boy doing?

2 Do you think that

a plant can eat bugs?

Think and Share

Think and Draw

Draw pictures of the growing process of a sunflower

a water the pot b put soil in the pot

c plant the seeds d bloom

strangehairaloneflyswallowmonster

Fiction

A Monster

12 Unit 2 • A Monster Plant 13

Check for Understanding

Fill in the chart

Focus on Skills Identifying Details

Choose the best answers

1 The story is mainly about Main Idea

a Jack and his sister

b Jack’s strange plant

c a fly in Jack’s room

2 When Jack’s sister is , she goes to look at Jack’s plant

a bored b out c alone

3 Jack’s sister thinks that Jack’s plant is a plant

a pretty b monster c ugly

4 Which one did the plant swallow?

a b c

A strange plant grows in Jack’s room

It has thin hair on its leaves

“Don’t touch it,” says Jack.

“You’re a bad brother,” I say

One day, I am home alone.

I go to look at Jack’s plant

Buzz There is a fly in his room.

It sits on the plant.

Snap! The plant swallows the fly

“Ah! It’s a monster plant!” I shout.

I run out of Jack’s room.

High-Frequency Words

Take a Look!

There is a monster in the

picture Find and circle

it.

bad one go

1 Jack has a sister.

2 Jack’s sister grows a monster plant.

3 The fly eats the plant.

14 Unit 3 • Tree Rings 15

1 Where are they?

2 What are they doing?

Think and Share

Think and Draw

Draw a picture of a plant swallowing an insect

Circle the correct words for the sentences

5 My parents went out and I am ( together / alone )

6 I had a ( strange / stranger ) dream

Tree rings

woodspointstumpresttree ringwrinkle

10

16 Unit 3 • Tree Rings 17

Check for Understanding

Fill in the chart

Choose the best answers

1 The story is mainly about Main Idea

a walking in the woods

b counting tree rings

c Grandpa’s wrinkles

2 Grandpa and the girl rest on

a the ground b a bench c a tree stump

3 How old is the tree?

a 20 years old b 30 years old c 40 years old

4 Where are Grandpa and the girl?

a b c

Grandpa and I walk in the woods.

Grandpa points to a tree stump.

“Let’s take a rest here,” he says

We sit on the stump.

“How old is this tree?” asks Grandpa.

“I don’t know,” I say.

“Count the tree rings,” says Grandpa.

The tree has thirty rings.

“It is thirty years old,” says Grandpa.

I touch Grandpa’s wrinkles.

“Are these your rings, Grandpa?” I ask.

Grandpa laughs.

High-Frequency Words

Take a Look!

There are footprints

on the ground Whose

footprints are they?

They are a ’s

footprints.

walk here has

1 Grandpa sits on the stump alone.

2 Grandpa and I don’t know the tree’s age.

3 One tree ring means one year.

18 Unit 4 • A Plant’s Body 19

1 What do you see?

2 Where can you see them?

Think and Share

Match the clues with the words

3 lines on your grandfather’s face woods

Circle the correct words for the sentences

4 You have a cold Take a ( nest / rest )

5 The teacher ( frowns / points ) at me

A Plant’s Body

rootstemmineralairshinebreathe

Non- Fiction

Count the tree rings

How old is the tree?

This tree is 10 years old

Draw its tree rings on the stump

A Plant’s

Body 14

20 Unit 4 • A Plant’s Body 21

Check for Understanding

Fill in the chart

Focus on Skills Identifying Details

Choose the best answers

1 The main idea is Main Idea

a growing a plant b a plant’s body parts c a plant’s roots

2 A plant can make food in its

a roots b flowers c leaves

3 A plant doesn’t need to grow

a minerals b oil c air

4 What part of a plant takes in water?

a b c

This is a plant.

Its roots are in the soil.

Its stem stands tall.

Leaves, flowers and fruit grow on its stem.

Can you make food in your body?

A plant can make food in its leaves!

They need water, minerals, sunlight, and air

Water comes up from the roots.

Minerals in the soil come up, too.

Sunlight shines on the leaves.

And the leaves breathe in air.

How does a plant make food?

High-Frequency Words

Take a Look!

How many fruit does the

plant in the oval have?

It has

fruit.

your its come

1 A plant has roots, stems, leaves and flowers.

2 A plant takes minerals from the soil

3 Sunlight shines on the roots.

15-16

22 Unit 5 • The Sphinx’s Riddle 23

1 What country are they in?

2 What are they doing?

Think and Share

Think and Write

Name the parts of a plant

Circle the correct words for the sentences

3 I drink a bottle of ( mineral / middle ) water

4 We need fresh air to ( breathe / bread )

5 The moon ( shoots / shines ) on the river

lostpushvoicehelpriddlesmart

The Sphinx’s

24 Unit 5 • The Sphinx’s Riddle 25

Check for Understanding

Fill in the chart

Dave’s family is lost in a pyramid.

They walk around and around.

“Look, a door!” shouts Dad.

They push the door, but it won’t open.

“Are you lost?” asks a voice.

“Yes, please help us!” says Dave.

“You must answer my riddle,” says the voice.

“I have a man’s head and a lion’s body.

What am I?”

“You’re a sphinx!” says Dave.

The door slides open.

“Smart boy,” says the sphinx.

Choose the best answers

1 The story is mainly about Main Idea

a looking around in a pyramid

b a sphinx’s head and body

c solving a sphinx’s riddle in a pyramid

2 The sphinx thinks that Dave is a boy

a smart b foolish c little

3 What is the answer to the riddle?

a a pyramid b a sphinx c a human

4 Who answers the riddle?

a b c

High-Frequency Words us must open

1 Dave’s family is in a pyramid.

2 The sphinx answers Dave’s riddle.

3 The sphinx has a lion’s head.

in a

Place

Ending

Dave answers the riddle

Events

Dave’s family and a

Characters

Take a Look!

Find and circle the

following hidden objects:

a cup, a hamburger, and

a lamp.

19-20

1 What animals do you see?

2 What are they doing?

Think and Share

Think and Guess

Answer the following riddle and draw what it is

Choose and write the correct word for each sentence

5 The singer has a beautiful

fastfieldleopardguidedrivejeepFiction

I have four legs and a tail.

I have no teeth.

I can swim and dive underwater.

I carry my house around with me.

What am I?

28 Unit 6 • On a Safari 29

Check for Understanding

Write what will happen next in the story

Focus on Skills Making Predictions

It is a sunny day in Kenya.

The jeep drives around the safari park.

A big lion sleeps in the sun

“Wake up, sleepyhead!” I shout

“Look over there,” says the guide.

A leopard runs in the field.

“Wow! It’s fast!” I say.

“Do you want to race it?” asks the guide.

“Can we?” I ask.

Vroom! The jeep goes faster.

“Look out, leopard! Here we come!”

Choose the best answers

1 The story is mainly about Main Idea

a a safari trip

b a jeep in a safari

c a running leopard

2 They are in a safari park in

a Canada b England c Kenya

3 The girl shouts to , “Wake up, sleepyhead!”

a an eating lion b a running lion c a sleeping lion

4 What do they have a race with?

a b c

High-Frequency Words

Take a Look!

How many birds fly away

from the tree?

over ask can

1 They are in a safari park.

2 The guide drives a big truck.

3 A leopard sleeps under the tree.

Vroom! The jeep goes faster

Look out, leopard! Here we come!

leopard

23-24

30 Unit 7 • Dracula’s Castle 31

1 What is the boy doing?

2 How does he feel?

Think and Share

Think and Draw

Draw some pictures of safari animals and write their names

Circle the correct words for the sentences

5 Turtles can’t walk ( fast / slow )

6 A ( lion / leopard ) has spots on its body

fangscaryclosedarkcastlevampire

32 Unit 7 • Dracula’s Castle 33

Check for Understanding

Fill in the chart

Focus on Skills Cause and Effect

Greg reads a book about vampires

He falls asleep at the desk.

He is in a castle in Romania.

He sees a bat in the dark

The bat flies closer and closer.

Poof! It becomes Dracula.

“Welcome to my home,” he says.

He has big scary fangs

“Help!” Greg shouts and runs very fast.

Dracula comes closer and closer.

Just then, Greg opens his eyes.

“Whew! What a dream!”

Choose the best answers

1 The story is mainly about Main Idea

a Dracula in Greg’s dream

b a book about a ghost

c a bat in the castle

2 Greg reads a book and falls

a ill b awake c asleep

3 Dracula has big They are scary

a fangs b fingers c eyes

4 What becomes Dracula?

a b c

High-Frequency Words

Take a Look!

What is Dracula afraid

of? Find it in the picture.

read about become

1 Greg wants to meet a vampire.

2 A bat becomes Dracula.

3 Greg lives in Romania.

34 Unit 8 • Vatican City 35

1 What do you know about Vatican City?

2 Is Vatican City a country or a city?

Think and Share

Think and Draw

What do you think vampires hate? Draw three things

Talk Together

What are you most scared of?

Circle the words that are related to Dracula

Non- Fiction

Vatican City 30

36 Unit 8 • Vatican City 37

Check for Understanding

Fill in the chart

Focus on Skills Identifying Details

What is the smallest country

in the world?

Here’s a hint It is inside Italy

Right, it’s Vatican City.

Vatican City is in Rome, Italy.

It sure is a small country.

But there are many things to see.

Come to Saint Paul’s Cathedral.

Don’t miss the Vatican Museums.

There are famous paintings and statues.

You can also meet the Pope.

The Pope lives in Vatican City

Vatican City is small but great.

Choose the best answers

1 The main idea is Main Idea

a the smallest country in the world

b many things to see in Vatican City

c Saint Paul’s Cathedral and Vatican Museums

2 You can see famous paintings and in the Vatican Museums

a states b photos c statues

3 Where is Vatican City located?

a in Rome b in Venice c in Greece

4 Who can you meet in Vatican City?

a b c

High-Frequency Words

Take a Look!

What is the capital of

Italy? Circle it on the

map above.

many also but

1 Vatican is a city in Italy.

2 There are museums in Vatican City.

3 Saint Paul’s Cathedral is in Vatican City.

Saint Paul’s the Vatican famous paintings and the Pope

the country in the world

31-32

38 Unit 9 • Insects in the Garden 39

1 Where are they?

2 What do they have

in their hands?

Think and Share

Think and Choose

What do you think is the most famous thing in Vatican City? Circle it

Talk Together

What is the biggest country in the world?

Theme: Insect Kingdom Related Subject: Science

2 known by many people famous

3 Italy, America, etc miss

Write the missing words

wingcicadaladybugworm

magnifying glassinsect

Fiction

Insects in the

Garden 34

40 Unit 9 • Insects in the Garden 41

Check for Understanding

Fill in the chart

Focus on Skills Classifying

Nate and Nina are in the garden.

Min-min-min-mii.

“What insect is that?” asks Nate

Nina has a magnifying glass.

“Let’s find out,” she says

Nate sees ants and worms.

Nina sees a ladybug.

But they are all quiet

“Look! Up in the tree!” says Nate.

There is a cicada with large wings

Min-min-min-mii.

“There you are!” cry Nate and Nina.

Choose the best answers

1 The story is mainly about Main Idea

a plants in the garden

b insects in the garden

c quiet insects

2 Nina watches insects through

a a telescope b sunglasses c a magnifying glass

3 The ants, worms and ladybug are all

a quiet b noisy c busy

4 What makes the sound “Min-min-min-mii”?

a b c

High-Frequency Words that find all

1 Nate and Nina are in the forest.

2 There are some insects in the garden.

3 A ladybug makes a loud noise.

Noisy Insects Quiet Insects

Take a Look!

There is a hidden object

we use to catch some

insects Find and circle it.

35-36

42 Unit 10 • Carl the Caterpillar 43

1 What do you see?

2 What is on the leaves?

Think and Share

Think and Draw

What do you need to observe insects? Draw three things

Talk Together

What insects make sounds besides a cicada? What sounds do they make?

Theme: Insect Kingdom Related Subject: Science

Cross out the words that aren’t insects

Match the words to make compound words and then write them

1

2

3

beebugfly

ladybutterhoney

caterpillarskintightcrawlbranchcocoon

Fiction

Carl the Caterpillar 38