Grade 4 Comprehension 8

Grade 4 Comprehension 8

Wild Animal Shelter

Story By: Andrew Frinkle

 

Tobey had always liked zoos. It was great to see animals that didn't live around his house. Around his house he could see cows or horses, but he couldn't see zebras or lions. He could see cardinals and blue jays, but he couldn't see monkeys or gators. Zoos were a great and fascinating way to spend his weekend learning about animals.

 

Today, he was trying to go to something a little different. He'd learned that near his house there was an animal shelter. It wasn't a regular shelter, though. He'd been to those before, where you could adopt dogs, cats, and even an occasional pot-bellied pig or goat. This place he was going to had lions and tigers and bears. It wasn't any regular shelter.

 

As he arrived, he was surprised, because he heard lions even from the parking lot. The place was small, but nicely-kept. It was clean and the volunteers working at the entry were very helpful. He and his family toured the place at their own pace, examining the cages and habitats the animals lived in.

 

Tobey was immediately struck by the differences between this place and a zoo. Zoos had beautiful habitats set up for each animal, but you could not get near the animals at all. At this shelter, he was almost close enough to reach out and touch the animals, even if there were two fences between him and the animals. There weren't as many people, either, so it seemed like a more personal experience. The paths were narrow and covered with trees that made the animals feel more at home and gave them shade.

 

It was interesting to stare a lion in the eyes when you could almost reach out and touch it. It was fun to watch the bears pace back and forth and wiggle their lips at you with great expressions.

They were silly creatures. Then there were leopards lazing in the midday heat and monkeys grooming themselves. It was a very neat experience.

 

The best part about the place was the stories. Each animal had a story posted up on the side of their cage. Each had been rescued from abuse or taken when they were no longer wanted. These were hard luck stories with a happy ending. Someone at this shelter had stepped up to take care of the animals, and now Tobey could enjoy meeting them and learn from them.

 

When it was finally time to go, they all thanked the volunteers and made a donation. Shelters always needed money, food for animals, and help. It made them feel good to be helping out any way they could. It was a great place, and Tobey couldn't wait to return.

 

I Language Record: 

Write the word class of the following words and write the synonyms from the passage:

Word                 Word Class                   Synonyms

1)  attractive   ___________             ______________________

2)  instantly    ___________             ______________________

3) astonished   ___________             ______________________

 

II Answer the following questions:

 

1. Where is Tobey going?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________                                                                                                 

2. What is different about this animal shelter compared to the other ones Tobey has seen?   

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________                                                                                              

3. Name the different animals that Tobey could see around his house.   

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________     

4. How does Tobey feel at the end of the story?  

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________        

5.  If you ever visit an animal shelter would you make a donation? Explain your answer.  _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________                      

6. Fill in the blanks with suitable articles.                                                                  

Tobey is _________ sweet little boy. He is ____________ animal lover. He loves visiting _____ zoo. _________ wild animals fascinate him.

III. Directed writing:                                                                                                       

Imagine you are Tobey. Write a letter to your friend describing the wonderful experience and persuade him to visit the animal shelter. Include the following points.

·        Describe the animal shelter

·        The animals you saw there

·        Your feelings about the entire trip.