READING

COMPREHENSION
 Chameleons

Chameleons are extraordinary animals. They are

one of the few animals that can change their color.
This is their way of hiding themselves. Chameleons
that live in trees are often green. Those that live in
desert lands are usually brown.

It is also their way of keeping warm. Turning a

darker shade helps them absorb more heat. They
also change colors to send messages to other
chameleons. Their bright colors may attract
another chameleon or warn enemies.
1. What is one unique characteristic of
chameleons?
2. What will happen to a chameleon on a cold
day?
3. What is the advantage of changing colors of
chameleon?
 The Philippine Eagle
The Philippine Eagle has replaced the maya as
our national bird. It is one of the three largest
and strongest eagles in the world. But it is in
danger of extinction. Hunting and deforestation
have caused the number of Philippine Eagles to
dwindle. Scientists have tried to increase their
number by breeding them in captivity. The first
eagle to be bred in captivity is Pag-asa. At 25
years old, Pag-asa is not yet suited to be
released to the wild as she has developed
dependency on her human keeper.
1.What does it mean when the Philippine Eagle is in
danger of extinct?
2.What is the problem in the selection?
3.Who is the responsible for the decease in the number
of Philippine Eagle?
 Home to Millions of Fish
Coral reefs are found in shallow areas of tropical
ocean waters. They are like beautiful
underground gardens that grow in salty waters.
Millions of fish and sea plants make their home
in the reefs as these provide a safe sanctuary for
them. They allow small fish to hide from large
predator fish.

But many coral reefs are in trouble. Water

pollution is destroying many reefs. Tourism
likewise harms them. If reefs are damaged, we
will lose many of our most beautiful fish.
1.How do fish and sea plants benefit from coral reefs?
2.Why do coral reefs are in trouble?
3.Why are small fish is safer in the coral reefs than in an
open sea?
 Telling Time
Humans have used different objects to tell time. In the
beginning, they used an hourglass. This is a cylindrical
glass with a narrow center which allows sand to flow
from its upper to its lower portion. Once all the sand
has trickled to the lower portion, one knows that an
hour has passed. Using the same idea, water clocks
were constructed to measure time by having water
flow through a narrow passage from one container to
another. On the other hand, sundials allowed people to
estimate an hour by looking at the position of the
shadow cast by the sun on a plate. At night, people
measured time by checking the alignment of the stars
in the sky. None of these were accurate, though. The
clock was the first accurate instrument for telling time.
1.How are the hourglass and water clock similar?
2.How do you describe an hourglass?
3.How water clocks measure time?
4.How do people measure time by using stars?
 Nosebleeds
Having a nosebleed is a common occurrence. Children
experience epistaxis when blood flows out from either
or both nostrils, often for a short period of time. It
may be caused by one’s behavior like frequent nose
picking or blowing too hard when one has a cold. It
may also be caused by certain physical factors such as
an allergy or abnormal growths in the nasal cavity. Or
it may be due to environmental conditions such as
exposure to toxic fumes or dryness of the air. While it
is often thought that holding one’s head back can
treat a nosebleed, this can actually cause one to
choke or vomit. The best thing to do is to lean
forward, pinch the top of the nose and apply a cold
compress. And if that doesn’t work, it’s best to get
1.When children experience epistaxis?
2.What is the best thing to do when experiencing
nosebleed?
3.What could be the cause of nosebleed?
 Dark Chocolates
Dark chocolate finds its way into the best ice creams, biscuits
and cakes. Although eating chocolate usually comes with a
warning that it is fattening, it is also believed by some to
have magical and medicinal effects. In fact, cacao trees are
sometimes called Theobroma cacao which means “food of the
gods.” Dark chocolate has been found out to be helpful in
small quantities. One of its benefits is that it has some of the
most important minerals and vitamins that people need. It
has antioxidants that help protect the heart. Another
important benefit is that the fat content of chocolate does not
raise the level of cholesterol in the blood stream. A third
benefit is that it helps address respiratory problems. Also, it
has been found out to help ease coughs and respiratory
concerns. Finally, chocolate increases serotonin levels in the
1.Why was chocolate called Theobroma cacao?
2. What benefit can we get from fat content of chocolate?
3. Dark chocolate may be safe for the heart on what
reason?
 Diving
Humans do not have the capacity to breathe underwater
unaided by external devices. A diver who wants to stay
underwater for more than a few minutes must breathe air on a
special mixture of gases. He can wear diving suits and have air
pumped to him from above or he can carry tanks of air on his
back and breathe through a hose and a mouthpiece. Early
divers discovered that it is not enough to supply air to breathe
comfortably underwater. The diver’s body is under great
pressure in deep water because water weighs 800 times as
much as air. Tons of water push against the diver deep in the
sea. When this happens, his blood takes in some of the gases
he breathes. When the diver rises to the surface, the water
pressure becomes less. If he rises too quickly, the gases in his
blood form bubbles that make breathing difficult. He suffers
1. What is the purpose of the diving suit?
2. Why does divers used hose and mouthpiece?
3. why is it easy for swimmers to float in waters surface?
 Dreams
We often say “Sweet dreams,” but have you ever wondered
why we dream? Some say that dreaming is our brain’s way
of exercising. While we sleep, our brain may be testing the
connections and pathways to see if they are working well.
Others believe that dreaming is our brain’s way of sorting
out problems. Problems that have not been addressed
during the day are sometimes resolved in our sleep. Yet
another explanation is that dreaming is our brain’s way of
fixing and organizing all the information we have. While
sleeping, our brains have a chance to sort out the
information that we want to keep from the stuff we no
longer want. Still another idea is that dreams are just
another form of thinking. Will we ever get to know the
answer to this question? Maybe we should sleep on it.
1.When we sleep, what will happen to the problems that
have not been resolved during the day?
2.What does our brains exercise through sleeping?
3.While sleeping, what happened to the information that we
have?
 Dust
No matter how often we sweep the floor of our homes, we are
still able to gather together a considerable amount of dust. Dust
is all around us. It gathers on bookshelves, on furniture - old or
new. These particles rest on any still object – undisturbed until
touched or wiped clean. Dust, which was first believed to be
made of dead skin has been found to be a mix of different
things. Some of the common ingredients of dust particles
include animal fur, dead insects, food, fiber from clothes,
beddings, soil and other chemicals. Although most of household
dust comes from the outside through doors, windows and shoes,
other dust particles come from within. Scientists have
discovered that the mix of dust from each household actually
depends on four things: the climate, the age of the house, the
number of persons who live in it and their individual cooking,
cleaning and smoking habits. Making our homes free of dust
may not be possible but lessening the amount of dust that we
1.how do we lessen the amount of dust in our home?
2.What are the common ingredients of the dust?
3.What do scientist discover about dust?
4.What is the greatest risk that one faces in having a dusty
house?
 Sneezing
Sneezing happens when our body is trying to remove an
irritation found inside the nose. A special name for this
process is sternutation. How does a sneeze happen? When
your nose is tickled, the sneeze center in our brain receives
a message. Soon, the other parts of the body that work
together to create a sneeze such as the abdominal muscles,
chest muscles, the diaphragm, the muscles of the vocal
chords, the back of the throat, and the eyelids receive this
message. An explosion as fast as 161 kilometers per hour
sends the irritant speeding out of your nose. Examples of
irritants in the air are dust, pepper, or allergens such as
pollen. Some experience having a photic reflex and sneeze
as soon as they are under the bright sun. Now, if it ever
happens that a sneeze of yours gets stuck, look towards a
1.how does sneezing happens?
2.What are the example of irritants?
3.Why does sneezing happens?
 Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell accidentally invented the
telephone.
He was testing a new transmitter when it happened.
He spilled a burning acid on it and produced sound
waves. Bell didn’t realize that the sound waves make
sound travel to different places. He shouted for help
from Mr. Watson who was in the kitchen. Mr. Watson
was surprised to hear Bell’s voice clearly. He went to
Bell and uttered, “I heard every word you said.” This
was how telephone was discovered.
1. How did Mr. Watson received Bell’s message?
2. Do you think communication would be easy if the
telephone was not invented? Why?
3. How important is the telephone to you
 Laughter
People love to laugh. We love it so much when there are
jokes, jobs, and shows that are made to make us laugh. Even
though laughing seems natural, not many species are able to
do so. Laughing involves the performance of rhythmic,
involuntary movements, and the production of sounds. We are
able to laugh using fifteen facial muscles, our respiratory
system, and sometimes even our tear ducts. We are lucky
that we are able to laugh because there is strong evidence
that laughter can help improve health. Laughter boosts the
immune system and adds another layer of protection from
disease. Since laughter also increases blood flow, it improves
the function of blood vessels that helps protect the heart.
Laughter also relaxes the whole body by relieving tension and
stress. Finally, laughter also brings out the body’s natural
1.What is laughing?
2.How does laughing prevent us from getting sick?
3.What does the statement “There are jokes jobs, and
shows that are made to make us laugh”, imply in this
selection?”
 Yawning
What makes us yawn? Yawning is something that we
cannot control. Even in the mother’s womb, eleven-
week-old babies have been observed to yawn. But why
do we do it? One popular explanation for yawning is
that a person may be tired or bored. Although many
believe this to be true, it cannot explain why athletes
yawn before an event or why dogs yawn before an
attack. It is said that yawning is caused by a lack of
oxygen and excess carbon dioxide. A good example of
this is when we yawn in groups. We yawn because we
are competing for air. Others even believe that we
yawn to cool our brains off. Cool brains allow us to
think more clearly so yawning is said to help us
1. What causes the yawning?
2. What is a fact about yawning?
3. What is the most likely to happen after we yawn?
 Communication on The Go
What do the beepers, pagers and cellphone have in common? How do these
gadgets carry and receive messages? What makes transmitting messages
easier with these gadgets?
Cellular phones, beepers and pagers use radio signals to carry messages.
The service are for cellphones and pagers is divided into groups called
cells. Each cell has a radio transmitter. Signals are sent to the cell to
another cell. This process happens very quickly. When you call a friend
from a cellphone, the signal goes through many connections before it
reaches your friend.
Artificial satellites send signals to the cell. These artificial satellites are
carried by rockets into space. They circle high above the earth. Solar
panels on the satellites collect sunlight to make electricity. They use
electricity to send radio waves back to the receiving station. The receiving
stations are often thousands of miles away from the transmitting station.
Today, hundreds of satellites whirl around the earth. Each one makes the
life easier for all of us. Each one makes communication possible. Each one
1.Why do the hundreds of satellites what whirl around the
earth make life easier?
2.What do beepers, pagers and cellphones use to transmit
messages?
3.What happen when you call a friend from a cellphone?
 Effect of Angers
Anger is often viewed as harmful. It does not only affect the
person feeling this anger but those around him or her. As
these feelings get stronger, changes occur in our body. Our
faces turn red and carry a frown. Our teeth are clenched and
our hands are closed tight. Our breathing becomes heavy and
this makes our heart beat faster. Our shoulder and neck
muscles become stiff and our blood pressure begins to rise.
All these things happen because our body is preparing for
something. It is preparing for action. However, this action
does not have to be harmful. People are often guilty about
feeling angry. But, anger can be viewed positively. Feelings of
anger tell you that something is not right and that something
needs to change. The challenge lies in making sure that
actions resulting from anger will help rather than harm.
Expressing our feelings can help others understand the
1.What is one benefit of feeling angry?
2.Why do people sometimes feel guilty for being angry?
3.Why does being angry viewed as harmful?
 Magician Invents Special Effects
George M’elies, a French movie maker and a former magician happened to
invent special effects in movies by accident. He was filming a street scene in
Paris when his camera suddenly jammed as a bus passing by. He stopped,
fixed his camera, then went back to filming the same street again. When the
film was developed, he was surprised to see a carriage in the place where
the bus has been! He discovered that the bus had changed into a carriage!
From this day on, Mr. M’elies invented amazing techniques using his camera.
He became known as “the magician of movies”
A common special effects he invented is called projectors. In this effect, a
movie maker projects a picture or a movie on screen behind the actors. The
actors act in front of the screen. Then the camera films the actors in the
pictures or the movie at the same time. This effect makes it possible for
actors to look like they are imaginary places.
Other special effects Mr. M’elies created are: animation which makes lifeless
models or objects come to life when they are shown on screen; matte shots
enabling the moviemaker to cover of matte out part of a film that he doesn't
want, and optical printer and computer-age special effects.
1.When would you use animation if you were a movie
maker?
2.What will happen to a movie without special effects?
3.Why do you think George M’elies was called the magician
of movies.
 A Little About Photography
Below is a friendly letter on photography.
Dear Sarah,
How are you? I am so excited to share with you about my new found hobby---
photography. Did you know that photography means “writing with light”? Photo is a
greek work which means “light”, while graphy means “writing”.
I learned that the camera is basically a box with a hole at the opposite end. The
box has a film inside that is sensitive to light. The light enters through the hole. Then,
this light is collected by a part called lens. The amount of light is controlled by another
part called the shutter. Too little light will result in a dark picture.
Yesterday, I read a book about an important tip on how to get an appealing
portrait of an animal in motion. It is to hold a biscuits or treat above type camera. The
longing look of the animal toward the food will be captured by the camera as a soulful
glimpse.
See you someday! I hope I can share with you more interesting things about my
new hobby. I’m also excited to see you. I am sure you have an interesting hobby to share
with me too.
Your
friend forever,
Mark
1.What happens to a picture if there’s too little light?
2. Why is a shutter important in a camera?
3. What is the use of the lens of the camera?
 Counting the Hours
When men decided to divide the day into twenty-four hours, they used
numbers one through twelve two times. As a result, there was one o’clock
during the day and another one o’clock after midnight. This created
confusion. If one was told to submit a project at six o’clock, did this mean
six o’clock in the morning or at night?

The Romans provided a solution to this problem. They thought that noon
time, the time when the sun is at its apex, is an important time. They called
noon Meridies and measured time by this. They called the morning ante
meridiem, which means “before noon” while “after noon” was called post
meridiem. Ante meridiem was shortened to A.M. while post meridiem was
shortened to P.M.
1. When the day was divided into twenty-four hours, what numbers
were used to express time?
2. What Meridies means?
 Beetles
Beetles can adapt to any kind of environment. They can be found crawling,
burrowing, flying, and swimming on every part of the earth except the ocean.
Why do beetles survive well on our planet? First, they have tough compact
bodies. These help them hide, find food, and lay eggs in places where other
insects could never go. Almost all beetles have tough front wings which are
colorful and carry beautiful patterns. These wings also act as suit of armor to
protect the beetles’ transparent hind wings which are used for flying. Beetles
have mouth parts designed for chewing different food. They eat other insects,
animal dung, and even cloth. They also feed on the bark, leaves, flowers, and
fruits of any kind of plant. They can even chew around the stems of poisonous
plants to let the deadly sap drain.
1. What pair of words describe the beetles’ front wings?
2. What is the use of the beetles’ hind wings?
3. What action of the beetle means making a hole in the ground?
 Air Currents
Wind is the natural movement of the air from one place to another. It affects the
climate of a place. There are three major air streams that greatly affect our
climate. From November to February, mornings are colder because of the
northeast monsoon wind. It blows from Siberia which is a very frigid place. It
brings along temperature and rain that make us shiver. The wind from June to
October, is warm and humid. During this time, the western section of our
country experiences strong rains brought about by the southwest monsoon
wind blowing from Australia. From March to early May, trade winds coming
from the east or northeast reach the Philippines. It brings rains to the eastern
part of our country. Trade winds are warm and moist and bring hot temperature
with little rain. Isn’t it amazing that each one of these air streams brings some
amount of rain to the Philippines?
1. You are going on a vacation at your cousin’s province in the eastern part of the
country in March. What type of clothes should you bring?
2. Among these different air streams in the Philippines, which is the most
appropriate for wearing very heavy clothes?
3. What are the 3 major air stream?
 Ecosystem
Ecosystems consist of living and non-living organisms in an area. These include
plants, animals, microbes, and elements like soil, water, and air. The living
organisms depend on both living and non-living aspects of an ecosystem. An
ecosystem can be as small as a puddle or as big as an ocean. It is a very
delicate balance, with these life forms sustaining one another. Disruptions to an
ecosystem may prove disastrous to all its organisms. When a new plant or
animal is suddenly placed in an ecosystem, it will surely compete with the
original inhabitants for resources. This stranger may even push out the natural
organisms, causing them to be extinct. The organisms that depended on the
extinct organisms will definitely be affected. The balance in ecosystems have
been unsettled by natural disasters such as fires, floods, storms, and volcanic
eruptions. However, in recent years and ironically, in the name of progress,
human activity has affected many ecosystems around the world.
1. What is a good description for an ecosystem?
2. Why is an ecosystem considered to be a delicate balance?
 Pain
How do we sense pain? The human body has nociceptors to receive an
electrical impulse that is sent to part of the brain that recognizes pain. Memories
of these sensations are formed to help us avoid painful objects and experiences
and prevents us from repeating past mistakes that may have hurt us in some
way. But pain is more complex. It is not only a physical experience but an
emotional and psychological one as well. When all of these come together, it is
called suffering. The mind is not alone in recognizing pain. The nervous system
is also able to store such information. Even when a person loses a finger or a
limb, the pain that was once felt may become a chronic one – one that keeps
recurring. The best way to avoid this is to prevent pain memories from forming.
The use of anesthesia prevents the mind from creating these memories. Drugs
that prevent pain such as analgesics help lessen the pain sensed.
1. How do memories of pain help us?
2. What system is responsible for storing information and recognizing pain?
3. How do we prevent pain?
 The Gift
The colorfully-wrapped box was lying on the table when Mario got home.
Thinking that it was his parents’ birthday gift to him, he took it and quickly
tore it open. It was the coolest looking pair of shoes he had ever seen.
Mario put them on, walked out into the street and jumped into a puddle.
“Mario, why are you wearing your brother’s shoes?” his Mother cried.
When he looked down, he said, “Oh no, that’s a lot of cleaning I have to
do.”
1.Why did Mario think the box was for him?
2. How did Mario’s mother feel when she saw Mario?
3. What do you think was Mario feeling when he saw his mother?
 The Cow and the Carabao
Long ago, a farmer had a carabao and a cow. The carabao was bigger but
the cow worked just as hard. One day the farmer said, “I can get more from
my farm if my carabao works all day and my cow works all night.” This went
on for a month 'til finally, the carabao cried, “It is just too hot to work all
day!” “Want to go for a swim?” asked the cow. “It will cool you off.” The
carabao happily agreed. They went off without the farmer’s consent.
Before swimming, they hung their skins on a tree branch. But it wasn’t long
till the farmer went looking for them. Upon seeing the farmer, they rushed
to put on their skins. In their rush, the carabao had worn the cow’s skin and
the cow had worn the carabao’s skin. From then on, cows have sagging skin
while carabaos have tight skin.
1.At the beginning of the story, what was one major difference
between the cow and the carabao?
2.What did the farmer decide one day?
3.How did the farmer’s decision affect the cow and the carabao?