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Stories
For
Reading
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Contents
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Agree or Disagree 3
All About Attitude 4
Box of Chocolate 6
Brother’s Love 7
COOKIES – Who Gets The Job? 8
Dad's Special Brownies 9
Dime Store Pearls 10
Everything I Really Needed To Know 11
Fly In The Window 12
Gift of Love 13
Giving a Little Help 14
Going on a Bear Hunt 15
Grandpa and the Sea 16
Hat For Ivan 17
Honor Your Father 18
King’s Seeds 19
Legacy of Love 20
Lessons from the Geese 21
Life’s Little Instructions 22
Mother and Daughter 23
Mother’s Scars 24
Mr. Mouse 25
Mrs. Proctor Goes to the Doctor 26
My House is a Mess 27
Parable of the Hot Water 28
Puppies for Sale 29
Pushing Against the Rock 30
Rescue At Sea 31
Sheep Thief 32
Scars 33
Thanks... Again 34
The Window 35
This is Good! 36
Three Wishes 37
Waiting for Dr. Dirkson 38
Water Boy 39
When Children Learn…. 40
Who Will Take The Son? 41
Why English Is So Hard 42
Why Work? 43
Your Name in Gold 44
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Agree or Disagree
1) Medical drugs frequently do more harm than good.
2) Religion has had a greater effect on world history than politics
3) Husbands should share all domestic duties with their wives.
4) The killing of seals and whales should be prohibited.
5) Aid to countries should only be given for specific welfare and industrial projects.
6) The novel is dead. No one reads paper books anymore!
7) Far from broadening the mind, travel makes people nationalistic.
8) The only way the world will achieve peace is for all the countries to disarm.
9) Violent sports should be made illegal.
10) One day computers will rule the world.
11) The United Nations serves no useful purpose.
12) The family unit is the basis of society.
13) Seeing a good play is far more satisfying than seeing a good film.
14) All new towns should be planned as a single whole.
15) We must halt damage to the environment if we are to survive.
16) Everyone should compete in at least one sport.
17) Despite the changes in recent years, women are still denied the best jobs.
18) At school, we really only need to learn reading, writing and mathematics.
19) Today's culture is pop music.
20) Capitalism brings the greatest prosperity.
21) When space is explored further the world will be a safer place.
22) We all need to love and be loved.
23) The media generally has far too much power.
24) My favorite holiday is camping.
25) Jesus was a real person who came to save the world.
26) Science offers mankind a wonderful future.
27) There are no such things as ghosts.
28) Coal is the most valuable mineral in the twentieth century.
29) Advertisers try and persuade you to buy what you don't want.
30) We are all too obsessed with money.
31) Civilization is breaking up everywhere.
32) I believe that visitors from outer space have landed on earth.
33) Oil is a good investment.
34) We are all fascinated by stories of natural disasters.
35) Parents should exert very strong discipline.
36) All waste products should be recycled if possible.
37) Education of all people is important in the society.
38) It is better to die then to live in pain.
39) If you have money, you will be happy.
40) Just because I do not understand does not mean it is not true.
41) Man can decide to do what is right or wrong.
42) Write a question of your own:
3
All About Attitude
Location: Store Break Room
Characters: Narrator, Laura, Kenya, Justin, Carla, Jessica, Ms. Walters
Narrator: Kenya arrived at her part-time job at the dry cleaners 20 minutes late. It wasn’t the first time. Laura had to cover for Kenya and missed her break.
Laura: “Thanks very much,” barely concealing her anger when Kenya finally relieved her.
Kenya: (to Justin) “What’s wrong with her?” “She should know by now that I don’t relate to clocks. That’s just the way I am.”
Justin: Well, she was at that window for five hours straight. She wasn’t too happy about working even longer.”
Kenya: That’s right, Justin, stick up for Laura. Why don’t you tell the manager while you’re at it? I know how jealous you’ve been of me ever since I got a better grade than you in English.
Justin: Kenya, I don’t know what you’re talking about. All I know is that you were 20 minutes late.
Kenya: I can’t believe how picky some people are! Anyway, I have a good excuse today. I had to talk with Ted. Last night I spent two hours telling him how to improve his personality, and now he says he doesn’t think he wants to go out with me anymore! I only told him for his own good! Some guys are just too weak to deal with an honest person like me.
Narrator: Later Kenya joined some of the other employees on break in the back of the store.
Carla: Jessica has been showing us the dress she bought to wear to the dance this weekend.
Kenya: You’re going to wear that to the dance?”
Jessica: (putting the dress back in its bag)
Narrator: The other workers bit their lips and stared uncomfortably at their fingernails for some time.
Carla Speaking of this weekend, Kenya, would you consider working for me on Saturday afternoon? Greg’s invited me to go to the beach.
Kenya: Greg Johnson? So he finally found a girl who’d go out with him, eh? What a loser!
Narrator: Carla’s face turned red with anger and embarrassment. She turned away from Kenya and hurried back to work at the front of the store.
Kenya: Another person who can’t stand to hear the truth! I don’t know why I bother to try to help some people! Do they appreciate it? No! You think I enjoy telling them these things? It’s for their own good! Why is everyone so sensitive? Do I have to be phony like the rest of you, tip-toeing around so I won’t step on anyone’s poor little toes?”
Narrator: As Kenya was speaking, her audience gradually moved away and went back to work. Looking around and seeing that she was alone, Kenya shrugged and helped herself to a soft drink. Later in the day one of the employees became ill and had to go home before the end of her shift.
Ms. Walters: Kenya, can you close her checkout and help out with bagging the garments.
Kenya: “I don’t know why I always get picked on? (Kenya complained). It’s not my problem and it’s not my responsibility.
Ms. Walters: For now you’d best do as you’re asked Kenya, and stop by to see me before you leave tonight. We need to talk.
15
Box of Chocolate
Mrs. Helen Gray is going to New York City. She is going to see her grandson, Stanley. Helen is riding the bus from Houston, Texas, to New York, New York. She likes to fly, but the bus is cheaper.
The bus ride is long. The bus stops in many cities. The people can get off to buy food in the bus station. She usually buys a sandwich, some fruit and something to drink. She also buys postcards to send to her friends back home in Houston.
The bus driver says, "We are coming into Raleigh, NC. We are staying here one hour. If anyone is hungry, there is a restaurant in the station."
Helen was very hungry. She bought a chicken sandwich, an orange and cup of coffee. She also bought a small box of chocolate. These candies are called Hershey's Kisses. Helen likes them very much.
Helen sat at a table and ate her lunch. There are many people in the restaurant. A man comes to Helen's table. He is a very big man. He has two sandwiches, two oranges, and two drinks. There is no place to sit. He asks Helen, "Is it OK if I sit here?"
"Yes, it's OK," she says. But she is thinking, "Oh, why don't you sit at another table? I don't like your face. You don't look like a good person.”
The man eats his sandwiches. He doesn't look at Helen. She doesn't look at him. She remembers she wants to buy postcards. She gets up and goes to get them. When she comes back the big man is eating a chocolate out of a little box of Hershey's Kisses.
Helen is furious. He is eating her candy. She wants to say something to him, but she is afraid. He is so big and she is so small. She is very angry. She takes the box of candy away from him, removes the silver paper from one candy, and puts it in her mouth. The man looks at Helen. He is surprised. Then he pulls the box from her, eats the last candy, and throws the box away. He stands up.
"Lady," he says, "I think you are sick. I think you are really sick in the head." He walks away. Helen is still very angry when it is time to get on the bus. She thinks, "I'm right. That man is a criminal. I think he is crazy, and he looks dangerous."
She opens her purse to look at the postcards. There, under the cards, is a little box of Hershey's Kisses.
Questions:
1) Why is Helen going to New York?
2) Why isn't she flying?
3) Why does Helen buy postcards?
4) Helen bought something extra today for a snack. What did she buy?
5) Why does the big man ask Helen if he can sit at her table?
6) Why is Helen mad at the man?
7) Why is the man mad at Helen?
8) Have you ever been made at someone for a silly reason?
9) What do you like to eat for lunch?
10) Would you rather travel by plane, train, car or bus?
15
Brother’s Love
There was this little girl who was sick with a rare disease. The doctor's tried to cure her, but she kept getting thinner and lighter in complexion. The doctor called the other family members into a private discussion room.
There the doctor explained that, to fight this disease, the young girl would need a blood transfusion by someone who had been cured of that same disease. Since her brother had already overcome that particular disease, and he had the same blood type, he was the ideal donor. The doctor pursued to influence the young child to donate his blood to his sister, while the young boy was very quiet. As the doctor waited for a response the small boy, with his bottom lip trembling, finally said, "Ok, I'll do it."
The doctors wheeled the two children down the hall to the hospital room. Not one word was exchanged. Only a few times did the young boy look at his sister, and as their eyes met, he simply smiled at her. The two children finally reached the room, and were placed into two chairs beside each other. The doctor started the procedure for the blood transfusion. The young boy watched his blood go from his body into his sister's.
Trying to hold back the tears, he finally broke the silence with, "Doctor, when am I going to die?" The doctor then realized why his lips were trembling, and why he remained so silent.
To the young boy, giving his blood meant giving his life.
At that one moment, that one instant, he would have given his life for his sister.
15
COOKIES – Who Gets The Job?
Gary takes the elevator to the fifteenth floor of the office building. He is wearing a plain blue suit, a white shirt with a gray tie, and black shoes. Gary is twenty-two years old. He is nervous. He is going to talk to an important man about a job.
Gary gets off the elevator. A secretary asks him, "May I help you?" He tells her that he is here to talk to Mr. Wilson about a job.
The secretary's name is Mrs. Fox. She says, "Mr. Wilson isn't back from lunch yet. Please sit down." Gary sits on the sofa.
Sam takes the elevator to the fifteenth floor of the office building. He is wearing a bright colored sport jacket, a blue shirt, and an orange tie with purple flowers. Sam is twenty years old. He is excited. He is going to talk to an important man about a job.
Sam gets off the elevator. Mrs. Fox asks him, "May I help you?" He tells her that he is here to talk to Mr. Wilson about a job. Mrs. Fox thinks, "Both these young men want the same job." She tells Sam, "Mr. Wilson isn't back from lunch yet. Please sit down."
The two young men wait. While they wait, Gary looks quickly at Sam. Gary understands that he and Sam are trying to get the same job. He looks at Sam's bright clothes.
He thinks, "Some people certainly have very strange ideas about clothes." Sam looks quickly at Gary. Sam, too, understands that he and Gary want the same job. He looks at Gary's plain blue suit, white shirt and gray tie. He thinks, "Some people certainly never have new ideas about clothes."
Mrs. Fox looks at the clock. She is unhappy because Mr. Wilson is late. She likes people to be on time.
"Do you want some coffee?" she asks Sam and Gary. They both say yes. Mrs. Fox notices that there are still two cookies in her cookie box. She puts them on a plate and brings them with the coffee. One cookie is much smaller than the other. Sam offers the plate to Gary.