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    Genre: Informational Text
    Informational texts can help us learn
    about the world around us. In science,
    people need to understand basic
    ideas before they can discover more
    complicated ideas. For example,
    scientists first discovered how to use
    electricity before they could develop
    the computer.
    “Scientific Discoveries” is about recent
    scientific discoveries.
    Genre: Realistic Fiction
    Realistic fiction is about characters,
    events and places that could exist.
    It is similar to real life, but the story
    is invented.
    “The Homework Machine” is about
    an imagined device that could make a
    student’s life much easier.
    by Ann Gianola
    by Aaron Burkholder
    Scientific
    Discoveries
    9
    U1COrl3.indd 9 6/9/17 2:20 PM
    Key Words
    assignment
    diagram
    directions
    enthusiastic
    life cycle
    magically
    metamorphosis
    process
    stage
    tricks
    1 Look at the pictures in the story.
    Who is the main character? How
    does he feel? What are some of
    the events in the story?
    2 Listen and follow.
    2
    Identifying
    Character
    Motivations
    Feelings can motivate
    characters in a story to
    do things or behave in
    certain ways.
    by Ann Gianola
    Topic 110
    U1COrl3.indd 10 6/9/17 2:21 PM
    Leo doesn’t like to do homework after school. He spends many hours a day in
    his third-grade classroom—and that’s quite enough time for him. Nevertheless,
    Leo has a homework assignment today, and he must do it. Miss Lopez, his
    teacher, wants the students to show a butterfly’s complete metamorphosis,
    starting from just a tiny egg. But Leo isn’t very enthusiastic about this
    assignment. After all, he already knows a lot about butterflies. In his science
    notebook, Leo has written many notes: Butterflies have been on the Earth for
    millions of years. They have distinct physical traits, patterns and sizes. In the
    science lab, Leo even looked through a microscope at the scales on a butterfly’s
    wing. He recorded that information, too.
    Why do I need to know more? thinks Leo.
    11
    The Homework Machine
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    In his bedroom, Leo opens up his notebook and pulls
    out the assignment. He reads the directions: Draw
    and label each stage of the butterfly’s life cycle.
    Then write some facts about each stage. Leo sighs
    and puts the notebook down on his desk.
    “Ugh,” he says. “I guess I’ll have to look
    that up in my science book.”
    However, he really doesn’t want to
    describe how the egg goes from one stage to
    the next, eventually becoming a butterfly.
    And he certainly does not want to describe
    this process now—when he is very tired and
    wants to relax. For a moment, Leo lies down
    on his bed and closes his eyes.
    “I wish that I had a machine that
    could do my homework for me. My
    life would be so much happier…”
    Topic 112
    U1COrl3.indd 12 6/9/17 2:21 PM
    Suddenly, there is a strange whirring noise in Leo’s bedroom. He quickly
    opens his eyes and sees a funny-looking object on his desk. Leo jumps off his bed
    and begins to inspect it. There is a sign on the front: Homework Machine. Leo
    claps his hands together.
    “My wish has come true!” he says excitedly. “But can this be possible?”
    Leo decides to try out the machine. He opens his math workbook and tears
    out a multiplication worksheet that is due on Tuesday. He puts it into one end of the
    homework machine. In a moment, the machine is clinging and clanging. It is whistling
    and blowing out big puffs of steam. The lights flash red and then green. Finally, a bell
    rings and Leo’s multiplication worksheet is magically spit out at the other end.
    13
    The Homework Machine
    U1COrl3.indd 13 6/9/17 2:21 PM
    Leo looks carefully at the math worksheet. The homework machine has finished
    it! Also, Leo doesn’t see any mistakes. Every question is answered correctly:
    8 x 6 = 48, 9 x 7 = 63 and 5 x 12 = 60. Leo is absolutely amazed. Without question, this
    machine is very intelligent. It also works quickly. Still, Leo wonders if the homework
    machine can do the butterfly assignment. Can it draw pictures? Can it write down facts?
    Leo decides to try it out again. He puts his assignment in the homework machine. Again,
    the machine is clinging and clanging. It is whistling and blowing out big puffs of steam.
    The lights flash red and then green. Finally, a bell rings and Leo’s life cycle of a butterfly
    is magically spit out at the other end.
    Leo grabs the paper and examines it. The homework machine
    has done an excellent job! There is a perfect diagram
    that shows each stage in the life of a butterfly: egg,
    caterpillar (larva), chrysalis (pupa) and adult
    (butterfly). Below the diagram, there are
    also many facts. They say that a female
    butterfly lays an egg on the leaf
    of a plant. Then the caterpillar
    hatches from the egg. When
    the caterpillar is fully grown,
    it forms into a pupa in
    a chrysalis. Later, the
    butterfly emerges and flies
    away. This cycle repeats
    itself again and again…as
    it has for millions of years!
    Leo jumps up and down.
    Tomorrow, Miss Lopez is
    going to be very proud. In
    fact, she’ll probably put
    Leo’s assignment on the
    bulletin board.
    Topic 114
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    The next morning, Leo walks confidently into his
    third-grade class. He has a big smile on his face as he
    sits down at his desk.
    “Good morning, class!” says Miss Lopez. “I hope
    you all enjoyed working on your butterfly assignment
    yesterday. I’m very excited to see your work.”
    Miss Lopez walks around the classroom and
    collects the children’s homework.
    “Beautiful drawings, Cecilia,” she says. “I can
    see that you spent a lot of time on these… Wonderful,
    Mateo,” she adds. “You wrote down a lot of information!”
    Then Leo hands Miss Lopez his paper. “What is this?”
    she asks.
    “It’s my assignment,” says Leo. “I tried my best.”
    “Leo,” says Miss Lopez rather angrily, “is this a joke? Why
    aren’t you taking your homework assignment seriously?”
    “What do you mean?” asks Leo. “The homework machine…uh…I
    mean…I finished the assignment.”
    Miss Lopez holds up Leo’s paper and shows it to the other children in the class.
    15
    The Homework Machine
    U1COrl3.indd 15 6/9/17 2:21 PM
    “Boys and girls,” says Miss Lopez. “Leo thinks that the life
    cycle of a butterfly begins with…a baseball…then it changes into a
    banana…and then it transforms into a school bus…and finally it becomes
    a big hairy monster.”
    All of the children in the class laugh at Leo’s paper. Leo’s face turns very red and
    he sinks down in his chair. He doesn’t understand. Yesterday the assignment was
    perfect. Can the homework machine play mean tricks?
    “I’m sorry, Leo,” says Miss Lopez. “Instead of going out for recess today, you
    need to stay inside and finish your assignment…correctly.”
    At recess time, Leo remains at his desk and tries to remember things about the
    life cycle of a butterfly. Sadly, he can’t recall the words for each stage of a butterfly’s
    life. He can’t write any facts, because he doesn’t know any. Leo really wants to know
    more about the life cycle of a butterfly. He wants to know his multiplication facts very
    well, too. The homework machine was supposed to make his life happier. But Leo
    doesn’t feel happy at all. Instead, he feels silly. Leo puts his face in his hands and lets
    out a groan.
    16 Topic 1
    U1COrl3.indd 16 6/9/17 2:21 PM
    The groan wakes Leo up. Instantly,
    he realizes that he isn’t in his third-grade
    classroom. He is at home. Leo looks at his desk.
    There is no homework machine. This was all
    a funny dream! Leo gets up and looks out the
    window. He sees a beautiful butterfly flying
    around the plants in his garden. Leo smiles.
    This is truly an amazing insect, he thinks. And
    it has gone through a complete metamorphosis.
    Leo looks at his assignment. But I’ve changed,
    too, he thinks. I will never ever wish for a
    homework machine again. Now, I know that it’s
    better to do things by myself—and use my own
    brain to learn things. Leo opens his science
    book. He reads all about the life cycle of a
    butterfly. Then he picks up his colored
    pencils and begins to draw a tiny white
    egg on a big green leaf.
    The Homework Machine
    17
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    1 Identifying Character Motivations Listen to the first part of the story again.
    Circle the correct answers.
    3
    1a
    Leo doesn’t want to do his
    assignment.
    b
    Leo is enthusiastic about his assignment.
    2a
    Leo thinks he knows a lot about
    butterflies.
    b
    Leo is afraid of butterflies.
    3a
    Leo reads the assignment
    instructions and lies down.
    b
    Leo gets tired because he is working a lot
    on the assignment.
    4a
    Leo wants to build a machine.
    b
    Leo wishes that he had a machine to do his
    homework for him.
    2 Number the sentences in the correct order.
    There is a strange whirring noise in Leo’s bedroom.
    Leo feels silly.
    Leo will never ever wish for a homework machine again.
    Leo decides to try out the machine.
    Leo walks confidently into his third-grade class.
    Leo lies down on his bed and closes his eyes.
    Leo’s life cycle of a butterfly is magically spit out at the other end.
    3 Complete the sentences with the correct words.
    caterpillar cycle Earth emerges female metamorphosis
    1
    Butterflies have been living on for millions of years.
    2
    A butterfly goes through a complete .
    3
    A butterfly lays an egg on the leaf of a plant.
    4
    When the is fully grown, it forms into a pupa.
    5
    Later, the butterfly and flies away.
    6
    This
    repeats itself again and again.
    18 Topic 1
    U1COrl3.indd 18 6/9/17 2:22 PM
    4 Epiphany Leo has an epiphany when he says that
    he “will never ever wish for a homework machine
    again.” How do Leo’s actions lead him to this
    conclusion? What lesson does he learn from
    his experience?
    5 Active Reading You have a homework assignment. Mark (✓) the activities that are good
    to do. Write other good activities on the lines below. Share your ideas.
    look up information
    lie down on your bed and close your eyes
    wish for a homework machine
    be a good student and finish it right now
    play a video game
    open your notebook and follow the directions
    6 Think and draw. Imagine a machine that can make your life happier.
    Epiphany
    This is the moment in a story when
    a character suddenly understands
    something in a new way.
    A
    Share your picture. What does the machine do? How does it make your life happier?
    19
    The Homework Machine
    U1COrl3.indd 19 6/16/17 12:22
    Key Words
    ancestor
    extinct
    glacier
    melt
    orbit
    prediction
    primate
    probe
    Using a Timeline
    A timeline is a diagram that
    shows particular events in
    chronological order.
    1 Circle the timeline.
    2 Listen and follow.
    4
    by Aaron Burkholder
    Scientific
    Discoveries
    Grains and Sugar
    Dairy, Meat and Protein
    Fruit and Vegetables
    1994–born
    2011–graduated
    2012–first job
    Australopithecus
    Homo
    erectus
    Homo
    habilis
    Homo sapiens
    Neanderthalensis
    Homo sapiens
    sapiens
    Human Ancestors
    4 million – 1 million years
    2 million – 300,000 years
    2.8 million – 1.5 million years
    250,000 – 30,000 years
    before 130,000 years ago
    20 Topic 1
    U1COrl3.indd 20 6/9/17 2:22 PM
    Discovery: Ardi
    In 2009, scientists published research on Ardi. Ardi is the
    skeleton of a primate found in Ethiopia. It was found in
    1994. Ardi was a female. She was about 120 cm tall and
    50 kg. And she lived about 4.4 million years ago. Scientists
    believe humans, chimpanzees and other apes came from the
    same ancestors between five and ten million years ago. This
    makes Ardi the oldest human ancestor. Before they found
    Ardi, they thought Lucy was the oldest ancestor.
    Background
    Lucy is a 3.2-million-year-old skeleton. That makes her 1.2 million years younger
    than Ardi. But she is from a different species of human ancestor. Both Ardi and
    Lucy walked on two legs, but Ardi had long arms and short legs. Ardi also had
    teeth that are similar to human teeth and a small brain like earlier apes.
    Why It’s Important
    Before the discovery of Ardi, scientists thought that the oldest human ancestor was
    more like chimpanzees. They thought humans became different from chimpanzees
    over time. But Ardi shows that our oldest common ancestor probably didn't look
    like humans or chimpanzees. Both groups probably developed their modern
    features differently over time.
    What’s Next?
    The search continues for more information to complete
    the human fossil record. There are still a lot of questions
    about fossils we have already found. Some fossils may
    be from direct ancestors. Others may be cousins that
    became extinct. And when we find new fossils, it can
    take years to study them. In time, though, we are going
    to learn more and more about where we came from.
    Evolution
    b
    b
    t
    a
    t
    o
    21
    Scientific Discoveries
    U1COrl3.indd 21 6/9/17 2:22 PM
    Discovery: Melting Glaciers
    We now have over 1,000 satellites orbiting the planet. Some
    satellites can take pictures and see changes in our planet
    over time. For example, scientists study glaciers to see how
    they are changing. Pictures of the Earth show that glaciers
    are melting. They are getting smaller. This confirms other
    research: These studies show global temperatures are rising
    because of pollution.
    Background
    Nineteenth-century scientists first noted that the climate of the Earth can change
    over time. They found it depends on sunlight and gases in the atmosphere. Then, in
    the 1960s, scientists started to study the effects of pollution. They used computers to
    calculate these effects. And in the 1990s, scientists agreed that human pollution was
    causing global warming.
    Why It’s Important
    Glaciers get smaller, but where does the melting ice go? Most of it goes to the
    ocean. This causes ocean levels to rise. In 2012, a group of scientists calculated how
    fast this is happening. They used information from satellites. It showed that over
    600 billion tons of ice is melting every year.
    What’s Next?
    Almost every new discovery about climate change
    shows that global warming is happening fast.
    Advanced technology means we can make better
    predictions about climate change. The real question
    now is what we will do about it. World leaders need
    to agree how to manage these changes.
    22 Topic 1
    U1COrl3.indd 22 6/9/17 2:22 PM
    Discovery: Rosetta Mission
    In 2014, the world watched scientists from the European Space
    Agency. They moved the Rosetta space probe into orbit around
    a comet for the first time in history. Comets are objects from the
    outer solar system. Sometimes they pass through the inner solar
    system. They are made of rock, dust, ice and frozen gases. They
    are small (less than 10 kilometers in diameter).
    Background
    Humans sent the first probe into space in the 1950s. Since then, probes such as
    Voyager 1 and 2 have helped us understand more about the solar system. In 2005,
    Deep Impact was the first to land on a comet.
    Why It’s Important
    Scientists used these probes to collect a lot of new information about comets. This
    information helps scientists to understand how the solar system formed. They
    learned that ice in the comet is very different from the water on Earth. This means
    the water on Earth probably did not come from comets. They are also looking for
    materials needed for life. They want to learn how life developed on Earth and if
    it can exist in other places. Finally, information from comets can teach scientists
    about the future of the universe.
    What’s Next?
    Government space agencies will
    continue to explore. They have
    planned missions to Mars in the
    future. Private space companies
    are also now beginning to
    explore space.
    23
    Scientific Discoveries
    U1COrl3.indd 23 6/9/17 2:23 PM
    1 Circle the correct phrases to complete the sentences.
    1
    The main idea of the text is…
    a
    to give information about
    recent scientific discoveries.
    b
    that science was much
    better in the past.
    c
    that most scientific ideas
    are probably wrong.
    2
    Ardi is a…
    a
    chimpanzee.
    b
    primate that was probably
    an ancestor to humans.
    c
    science program to find
    human ancestors.
    3
    When a glacier melts, the water…
    a
    goes to the oceans.
    b
    freezes again into new
    glaciers.
    c
    provides cities with
    more water.
    4
    The water on Earth…
    a
    probably came from
    comets.
    b
    definitely came from
    comets.
    c
    probably did not come
    from comets.
    5
    Scientists study things because…
    a
    it is easy. b they can learn about the past
    and the future of the universe.
    c
    they want to impress
    people.
    2 Active Reading Listen and number the words in the order you hear them. Then check
    your answers with a classmate.
    5
    ancestor
    orbit
    glacier
    primate
    extinct
    prediction
    melt
    probe
    24 Topic 1
    U1COrl3.indd 24 6/9/17 2:23 PM
    3 Using a Timeline Read page 22 again. Complete the timeline with the correct
    information.
    12 60s 90s change glaciers warming
    1 19
    – study of pollution
    2 19 – discovery that human
    pollution is causing global
    3 20 – scientists calculate
    how fast
    melt
    4 Future – better technology, better predictions
    of the effects of climate
    Sections
    The information in this
    text is organized in topics.
    Each topic has sections to
    describe a discovery: the
    background information,
    why it's important and
    what comes next.
    –
    4 Sections Match the notes. Connect the information from each topic.
    5 Write the key words for each discovery.
    1
    Ardi: , ,
    2
    Melting Glaciers: , ,
    3
    Rosetta Mission: ,
    6 Which of the three scientific projects would you most like to work on? What is the next thing
    you think you could discover? Use information from the text to explain your answers.
    25
    Scientific Discoveries
    U1COrl3.indd 25 6/9/17 2:23 PM
    Connect to Me
    2 Think of an object that you use every day. Describe the object and say how it works.
    Connect to Science
    1 Find information about a famous science experiment and answer the questions.
    1
    What was the experiment?
    2
    When did it happen?
    3
    Why was the experiment important?
    2 Make a timeline to show the order of events in the discovery. Find pictures and add them
    to the timeline. Present your timeline to the class.
    26 Topic 1
    U1COrl3.indd 26 6/9/17 2:23 PM
    1 hich of these objects do Which of these objects do you think are good inventions? ? Why? Share ? Share your ideas.