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    8
    Topic
    Genre: Informational Text
    An informational text informs the
    reader about real people and the
    real world.
    “World Records” is about awards for
    being the fastest, greatest or best in
    the world. But people can win world
    records in some unusual categories!
    Genre: Tall Tale
    A tall tale is a story with exaggeration.
    When you exaggerate, you say something
    is bigger or better than it actually is.
    Some parts of a tall tale are realistic.
    Other parts are exaggerations—they
    cannot possibly be true.
    “The Best Cowboy in the World” is a tall
    tale about a cowboy named Pecos Bill.
    by Barnaby Wright
    The Best Cowboy
    in the World
    by Judy Goldman
    143
    Key Words
    bad-tempered
    cowboy
    coyote
    crowded
    hoot
    howl
    lasso
    pack
    snort
    tornado
    Identifying Events
    by Chapters
    Chapters are sections
    of a story. They help
    readers see how a story
    is organized. Sometimes
    there is one chapter for
    each important event.
    Authors also use chapters
    to create suspense or
    excitement. At the end of
    one chapter, they leave
    readers wondering what
    will happen next.
    1 Find the chapters in
    the story. Look at the
    picture for each one.
    What do you think
    is happening at the
    beginning of each
    chapter?
    2 Listen and follow.
    30
    The Best Cowboy
    in the World
    by Judy Goldman
    144 Topic 8
    A long time ago, when Texas was still a very wild place, Pa heard we
    had a new neighbor only...fifty miles away! That was too crowded for us,
    so Pa prepared the wagon. Ma and Pa packed the wagon with their few
    possessions and their eighteen children. Then they drove to a less crowded
    part of the state.
    Billy was the youngest child. He was just a baby, but he was incredible.
    He could speak when he was only two months old. He could ride a horse
    when he was three months old. He could run when he was four months old.
    He started exploring in the woods before his first birthday. He was never
    afraid. He even played with wild animals!
    till il
    145
    The Best Cowboy in the WorldThe Best Cowboy in the World
    One very dark night near the Pecos River, the wagon hit a rock. It was
    thrown to the left and then thrown to the right—and it almost crashed. The
    children shouted and ended up in a tangled mess of arms and legs.
    Topic 8146
    In the confusion, nobody noticed that Billy had fallen out of the wagon.
    Pa drove on and on. Many miles later, he stopped the wagon and everyone
    got out. They were ready to eat supper and sleep.
    Ma called out, “James, Justin, Jane, Jonah, Julia, Jerome, June, Joan,
    Jill, Jeremiah, Jackson, Jake, Janet, Jennifer, Joy, Jessica, Josephine, Billy!”
    Everyone—except Billy—answered, “Here, Ma!”
    She called again. “James, Justin, Jane, Jonah, Julia, Jerome, June, Joan,
    Jill, Jeremiah, Jackson, Jake, Janet, Jennifer, Joy, Jessica, Josephine, Billy!”
    Everyone except Billy said, “Here!”
    “Where’s Billy?” Ma asked and scratched her head.
    Everyone looked here and there. They looked inside the wagon and
    under the wagon. They even drove back a few miles, but Billy was not there.
    After a few more days of searching, and because they were running out
    of food, they tied the horses to the wagon and drove off. Ma, Pa and the
    seventeen children were all very sad. But where WAS Billy???
    147
    The Best Cowboy in the World
    After Billy fell out of the wagon, he sat up and looked at the darkness
    around him.
    He shouted, “Pa! Ma!” but no one answered.
    Billy called, “James, Justin, Jane, Jonah, Julia, Jerome, June, Joan, Jill,
    Jeremiah, Jackson, Jake, Janet, Jennifer, Joy, Jessica, Josephine!” But only
    an owl hooted nearby.
    He didn’t cry. He wasn’t afraid. He waited for his family to come and
    get him.
    And then he heard something moving...
    Topic 8148
    Something furry brushed against Billy’s neck.
    Billy didn’t move.
    A very wet tongue licked his face.
    Billy laughed, stretched out his hand and touched something big and
    furry. He held onto the creature’s tail and followed it home. Then, Billy curled
    up and went to sleep.
    When Billy woke up, he saw that he was in the den of a coyote and
    her pups.
    And that was just fine with him! He became one of the pack. He learned
    how to hunt, howl at the moon and scratch his ear with his back leg.
    i
    i
    Bill ’
    k
    149
    The Best Cowboy in the World
    Many years passed. Then one day, a cowboy rode by and saw Billy
    playing with his pack.
    He said, “You look just like my Pa! I’m Jonah and you must be my brother
    Billy. We lost you and here you are! Do you want to come with me? I’ll show
    you how to be a cowboy.”
    Billy liked Jonah and the horse so he decided to stop being a coyote. He
    said goodbye to his pack, put on some clothes and went away with Jonah. That
    same day, Jonah started to teach him how to be a cowboy.
    It wasn't easy being a cowboy. Billy learned how to hunt for food and
    cook it on a fire. He learned how to find his way at night by using the stars.
    He even learned how to take care of cows and horses. He also got a new
    name: Pecos Bill.
    150 Topic 8
    Pecos Bill was brave and tough. He was also a fast learner. He became the best
    cowboy in the whole world.
    He could lasso anything. He lassoed rabbits and squirrels for supper. He
    could even catch a bird.
    One night, he saw that the cows wouldn’t go to sleep. He sang a song to calm
    them. Now all cowboys sing at night to their cows.
    He was also not afraid to fight wolves, bears and snakes with his hands.
    Because he always won, they ran away from him as soon as they saw him.
    Soon, all the other cowboys talked about him and his skills. They
    admired his ability to ride. Pecos Bill could ride anything, and the proof was
    his horse—Widow-Maker.
    That horse was very bad-tempered and wild. No one, not even a mosquito,
    could ride him. Every cowboy who tried to ride him was thrown off.
    Then one day, Pecos Bill saw the horse. He knew he could ride him!
    151
    The Best Cowboy in the World
    As soon as Pecos Bill jumped on the horse’s back, Widow-Maker got angry.
    He snorted and jumped. Pecos Bill stayed on—for three days! Widow-Maker
    finally gave up. From that day on, only Pecos Bill could ride Widow-Maker.
    152 Topic 8
    Cowboys said that there was nothing Pecos Bill couldn’t ride.
    One day, Pecos Bill jumped on a tornado—the biggest, meanest,
    strongest tornado ever. He was thrown to the left and then thrown to the
    right. The wind blew down trees and houses, but he stayed on.
    The storm continued for days and days. It rained so much that it
    formed the Grand Canyon. When the tornado disappeared, Pecos Bill
    fell to the ground. He landed so hard that he made a huge hole. Now
    people call it Death Valley.
    Cowboys say that Pecos Bill is still out West with his wife, Slue-Foot
    Sue. She is just as brave and tough as he is. They take turns lassoing cows and
    taking care of their forty kids.
    153
    The Best Cowboy in the World
    1 Circle the correct answers.
    1
    Where does Pecos Bill grow up?
    a
    in a coyote’s den
    b
    with his family
    c
    with a group of cowboys
    2
    Who helps Pecos Bill become a cowboy?
    a
    his parents
    b
    his brother Jonah
    c
    Slue-Foot Sue
    3
    According to the story, what formed Death Valley?
    a
    a tornado
    b
    water flowing
    c
    Pecos Bill falling down
    4
    How does Widow-Maker act the first time Pecos Bill rides him?
    a
    He jumps and snorts.
    b
    He gives up right away.
    c
    He ignores Pecos Bill.
    5
    Why does Pecos Bill ride Widow-Maker and a tornado?
    a
    to win a contest
    b
    to impress his family
    c
    to prove he can ride anything
    2 Label the pictures. Listen and check.
    31
    hoot howl lasso snort
    1 2 3 4
    Exaggeration
    In this tall tale, the author
    builds up the story of Pecos
    Bill by exaggerating several
    things he does. As you
    read, notice which actions
    are realistic and which are
    exaggerations.
    3 Exaggeration Read Pecos Bill’s actions.
    Write R (realistic) or E (exaggerated).
    1
    falling out of a wagon
    2
    riding a horse at three months old
    3
    catching animals with a lasso
    4
    riding a tornado
    5
    making Death Valley
    154 Topic 8
    4 Identifying Events by Chapters Sort the events and complete the chart.
    Pecos Bill works hard to become a great cowboy.
    Bill’s family moves to a less crowded place.
    Bill grows up with coyotes until his brother finds him.
    Billy falls out of the wagon and is lost to his family.
    Pecos Bill rides a bad-tempered horse and a tornado.
    5 Active Reading Work in a small group. Answer the questions for one of the chapters.
    1
    In this chapter, how old is Billy?
    2
    Does someone teach Billy? Or does he do things on his own?
    3
    What does Billy learn to do?
    A
    Think and discuss. How does Billy grow and change in the story?
    6 Write the next chapter in Pecos Bill’s story. Exaggerate!
    155
    The Best Cowboy in the World
    Key Words
    achievement
    attempt
    break a record
    compete
    juggle
    recite
    sneeze
    stilts
    talent
    We All Love World Records!
    Have you ever
    wondered about world
    records? Who has the world’s
    loudest sneeze? Yi Yang
    from China does! Who ran
    the slowest marathon ever?
    Lloyd Scott did! He wore a
    deep-sea diving suit as he ran
    the 42.2-kilometer race in the
    London Marathon in 2002. It
    took him five days, eight hours
    and thirty minutes!
    Where can you find
    information like this? In the
    Guinness Book of World Records.
    It lists the greatest and the best
    in the world!
    Identifying Cause
    and Effect Events
    Cause and effect is a
    relationship between
    events. The cause is why
    something happens. The
    effect is the result of the
    cause. To find cause and
    effect, look for one event
    that causes another.
    by Barnaby Wright
    This group of 530 dancers in South Africa is trying to break
    the world record for the world’s largest ballet class.
    Lloyd Scott
    1 Think about
    causes and
    effects. Imagine
    you woke up
    late for school.
    What might be
    the cause?
    2 Listen and
    follow.
    32
    156 Topic 8
    For more than sixty years, the Guinness
    Book of World Records has kept all kinds of
    records. The book is so popular that it has sold
    more than 134 million copies around the world.
    Officials update the book every year with the
    new record holders. They approve about 6,000
    records each year. People want to be famous
    for their amazing achievements. Anyone can
    set a record—individuals, groups and people
    of all ages—including kids!
    Let’s look at some of these world records.
    What made the people decide to set such
    incredible records? How did they do it?
    An Amazing Talent
    Some people were born with a special
    talent. Sometimes this talent is so amazing
    that it helps them break a world record at
    a young age.
    Jagger Eaton is one of them. He started
    riding a skateboard when he was just four
    years old. In 2012, when he was eleven
    years old, he became the youngest athlete
    ever to compete in the X Games. It's a new
    world record!
    Kelly Sildaru was also born with a
    special talent. She can do incredible skiing
    tricks! In 2016, when she was thirteen
    years old, she became the youngest Winter
    X Games winner.
    Jagger Eaton and
    his brother Jett
    Kelly Sildaru
    157
    World Records
    Victor de Leon III has a different kind of talent. He started playing video games
    when he was just two years old. By age four, he was playing in competitions. Because of
    his talent, Victor became a professional gamer at the age of six! He now holds the world
    record for the youngest professional video gamer.
    Strength in Numbers
    Not everyone is born with a special talent. But people can still break world records by
    asking their friends to help them! There are many records for the largest group of people
    to do something together.
    For example, in January 2016, 8,726 students from a dance school in India performed
    the largest Bollywood dance ever. They dressed in matching yellow uniforms and danced
    for nearly five minutes. For this group, it was not about individual achievement. It was
    about doing something good. They set out to break the record to tell people about the
    dangers of drugs.
    Another large group set a world record while riding bicycles. In August 2015, the
    largest bicycle parade ever was held in Thailand. There were 136,411 people riding
    bicycles in the parade!
    In Thailand, a world record 136,411
    people rode bicycles in a parade.
    158 Topic 8
    A World-Record Setter
    For some people, one world record is not enough! Ashrita Furman loved reading
    about the people and places in the Guinness Book of World Records when he was a
    boy. As a result, he decided to start breaking records himself. He now holds more
    records than any other person alive! Since 1979, he’s held more than 500 world
    records. This is a record on its own!
    Ashrita likes to break unusual records. He holds the world record for the highest
    mountain climbed—on stilts! The mountain was almost three kilometers high.
    Here are some of his other world records:
    • doing somersaults for the longest distance (19.6 kilometers)
    • walking the farthest with a milk bottle on his head (130.3 kilometers)
    • catching the most grapes in his mouth in one minute (86 grapes)
    • reciting a poem in the most languages
    (203 of them!)
    Ashrita doesn’t break every record he
    attempts. For example, he once tried to
    break the world record for the longest time
    juggling underwater. He didn’t break the
    record, but he still juggled underwater for
    nearly thirty-eight minutes while sharks and
    eels swam by!
    Your Own World Record
    What’s the best way to become a world-
    record holder? Ashrita says that first you need
    to choose a record to break. Find out what the current record is and then train hard.
    Guinness will send you the rules for the record. When you try to break a record, you
    have to be prepared for something to go wrong. Something usually does! Breaking a
    world record is a great challenge. The person you’re challenging isn’t really the one
    who holds the current record. You're challenging yourself!
    Ashrita Furman tries to break the world record
    for juggling underwater for the longest time.
    159
    World Records
    1 Match the people with the world records.
    1
    Lloyd Scott a youngest Winter X Games winner
    2
    Jagger Eaton b youngest professional video gamer
    3
    Kelly Sildaru c highest mountain climbed on stilts
    4
    Victor de Leon III d youngest X Games athlete
    5
    Ashrita Furman e slowest marathon
    2 Label the pictures.
    compete juggle recite sneeze stilts talent
    3 Circle the correct answers.
    1
    Of these world-record-winning groups, which is the largest?
    a
    Bollywood dancers
    in India
    b
    bicycle riders
    in Thailand
    c
    ballet dancers in
    South Africa
    2
    How do you think people feel when they break a world record?
    a
    proud
    b
    nervous
    c
    sad
    3
    Why do you think it is important to update the Guinness Book of World Records?
    a
    People break world
    records every year.
    b
    People think of new kinds of
    world records every year.
    c
    People make mistakes in
    the book every year.
    1
    2
    54
    3
    6
    160 Topic 8
    4 Identifying Cause and Effect Events Color the causes red. Color the effects green.
    1
    Dance students in India wanted to
    do something good.
    They broke a world record for the
    largest Bollywood dance ever.
    2
    Ashrita decided to start breaking
    world records.
    Ashrita read the Guinness Book
    of World Records as a boy.
    3
    Ashrita didn’t break the world
    record for underwater juggling.
    Ashrita only juggled underwater
    for thirty-eight minutes.
    4
    You made up your own world record. Guinness doesn’t accept it.
    5 Cause and Effect Words Find and
    circle the words because and as a
    result in the text.
    A
    Match the parts of the sentences.
    Use cause and effect words to
    help you. Listen and check.
    33
    1
    Emma trained hard for months;
    a
    because he was riding too fast.
    2
    Craig fell off his bike
    b
    so the students stopped talking.
    3
    The teacher arrived,
    c
    since I had the highest score.
    4
    I won the competition
    d
    as a result, she broke a world record.
    6 Active Reading Imagine you work for the Guinness Book of World Records.
    Interview a world-record holder. Take turns.
    7 Think and discuss. Choose one of Ashrita Furman’s unusual world records to
    challenge. Why did you choose this record? How will you practice or train to
    break the record?
    Cause and Effect Words
    Writers use words such as because, so, as a result and since
    to show the relationship between a cause and effect. For
    example, the author writes, “Because of his talent, Victor
    became a professional gamer at the age of six!”
    161
    World Records
    Connect to Me
    1 Write a tall tale based on your life.
    1
    Think about your life. Choose four events or achievements. Include one exaggeration.
    Write them in the chart.
    Age:
    Event /
    Achievement:
    Age:
    Event /
    Achievement:
    Age:
    Event /
    Achievement:
    Age:
    Event /
    Achievement:
    2
    Write your story. Think about how each event builds on the one before it.
    A
    Tell your story to the class.
    Connect to Social Studies
    1 Research world records online.
    Choose a topic to research at http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com or a similar website.
    Use a key word or phrase, such as “cat,” to search the site. Find three world records for
    your topic. Complete a chart like this one.
    World Records: Cats
    Record Who What Where
    Smallest cat ever Tinker Toy
    7 centimeters tall,
    19 centimeters long
    United States
    (Taylorville, Illinois)
    162 Topic 8