Each word below contains a silent b, k, or w. Underline the silent letter and then write each word in the correct list. wreath crumb knead doubt plumber sword climb knuckle wriggle kneel knit wrap Silent b Silent k Silent w wreath Look at the words with a silent Write the correct word. 1. Which word rhymes with out? 2. Which word rhymes with hum? 3. Which word rhymes with summer? 4. Which word rhymes with time? Look at the words with a silent k. Write the correct word. 5. Which word rhymes with heel? 6. Which word rhymes with fit? 7. Which word rhymes with chuckle? 8. Which word rhymes with deed? Look at the words with a silent w. Write the correct word. 9. Which word rhymes with squiggle? 10. Which word rhymes with bored? 11. Which word rhymes with clap? 12. Which word rhymes with teeth? On the back, write six sentences. Each sentence should contain two of the words with silent letters. page 1
Read each question below. Then, circle the two words in each question in which the vowel a is pronounced as a schwa (/ /). Finally, answer yes or no to each question. e 1. Should athletes eat pizza and soda for dinner every night? ê Yes / No 2. Would you avoid sitting on a sofa if it were filled with maggots and ants? ê Yes / No 3. Could someone play a tuba while marching in a parade? ê Yes / No 4. Would it be helpful if you set a number of alarms to go off in yoga class? ê Yes / No 5. If you are in the wild, should you avoid angry gorillas? ê Yes / No 6. Could you travel across a lagoon in a small boat? ê Yes / No 7. If someone is in a coma, is he or she alert and able to walk or drive? ê Yes / No 8. Should you walk around a banana peel? ê Yes / No 9. Do you salute every machine that you see? ê Yes / No 10. Should you hold an antenna above your head? ê Yes / No 11. Is it useful to add extra commas when you are writing a letter? ê Yes / No 12. If you were asleep, would be able to enjoy a beautiful vista? ê Yes / No Sort the phrases below into the correct lists. agreeable children terrible dancers responsible teens affordable bracelets indestructible metal enjoyable games edible sweets capable teachers People Things On the back, write a short story that includes one of the people and one of the things. page 2
Pick the word that fits best with each set. Use a dictionary or thesaurus if you need to. gullible edible flexible visible incredible sensible terrible accessible 1. bad / horrible ê 2. unbelievable / amazing ê 3. stretchy / bendable ê 4. wise / intelligent ê 5. reachable / available ê 6. noticeable / clear ê 7. foolish / unsuspecting ê 8. tasty / appetizing ê Add the suffix -able to each word. Remember the major spelling rules! 1. use + able = 2. understand + able = 3. adore + able = 4. avoid + able = 5. like + able = 6. read + able = 7. accept + able = 8. erase + able = Sort the words above into the correct lists. Final e in Base Word Dropped No Change to Base Word On the back, list one antonym for each of the words that required no change to the base word. Use a thesaurus if you need to. page 3
Use -ture or -age to complete each word. Then, add the suffix(es) to create a new word. culture 1. cul + = + s = 2. pack + = + ing = 3. vill + = + er + s= 4. frac + = + ed = 5. pic + = + ing = 6. short + = + s = 7. nur + = + ing = 8. man + = + er + s = 9. band + = + s = 10. lec + = + s = cultures Use the words above to answer the puzzles below. Use a dictionary if you need to. 1. Broken = fractured 2. People who oversee other people = 3. Long talks that students listen to = 4. Lack of needed supplies = 5. Things used to fix sprains, wounds, or other injuries = 6. Seeing a vision in your mind = 7. Examples are plastic wrap and boxes = 8. People who live in a small town = 9. Helping and protecting others = On the back, list three different cultures that you have enjoyed learning about. page 4
Answer each question below with at least one complete sentence. 1. If you could go on a long sea voyage, what are three places that you would visit? Why? 2. Who is one person whom you adore? Why do you adore him or her? 3. So far, what has been your greatest life adventure? Why? 4. Who is one character (in a book, TV show, or movie) who had a vendetta against someone else? How did the hatred begin? 5. Who is one character (in a book, TV show, or movie) who could be described as savage? Explain your answer. 6. If a water pipe were to rupture in your house, what would you do? Why? On the back, draw a picture of your departure for the long sea voyage that you described above. page 5
Draw a picture of each phrase. 1. the capture of a creature from space 2. damage to nature 3. someone trying to salvage the wreckage of a fire 4. a parade through a pasture 5. a chinchilla sitting on a piece of furniture 6. a message in a rotunda On the back, draw a picture of someone saluting another person. page 6
Put the words in the correct list. among learned bodies wrote caught characters dangers known who money throughout commonly highest holds writer more written once curtain imagined school scenes ready heart moving Begin with A-H Begin with I-P Begin with Q-Z among Pick one list. On the back, put the words in alphabetical order. page 7
Read each set of sentences out loud. Stress the words in bold. Write each bold word three times. Read The curtain closed after each of the scenes. curtain Write The curtain closed after each of the scenes. At school, we learned about bodies of water. At school, we learned about bodies of water. c. At school, we learned about bodies of water. c. Who is a commonly known writer? Who is a commonly known writer? c. Who is a commonly known writer? c. d. Who is a commonly known writer? d. The characters faced many dangers. The characters faced many dangers. Some customers will spend more money. Some customers will spend more money. c. Some customers will spend more money. c. She holds the prize for the highest jump. She holds the prize for the highest jump. I once imagined moving to outer space. I once imagined moving to outer space. c. I once imagined moving to outer space. The fan was ready and caught the foul ball. The fan was ready and caught the foul ball. Who had written heart among the scribbles? Who had written heart among the scribbles? c. Who had written heart among the scribbles? He wrote stories throughout his life. He wrote stories throughout his life. Make flashcards for the words above that are hard to read or spell. c. page 8
If working by yourself: Set a timer for 30 seconds. Try to read each set of 50 words in 30 seconds. Start at the first word and read across each row. Put a slash (/) after the last word that you read. If working with a partner: Set a timer for 30 seconds. Read the words aloud and have your partner follow along. Try to read each set of 50 words in 30 seconds. Start at the first word and read across each row. Your partner should put a slash (/) after the last word that you read and circle any words that were hard for you to read. Set 1 among caught commonly customers heart caught 6 commonly heart among customers caught customers 12 among heart commonly commonly among customers 18 caught heart commonly among customers heart 24 caught heart caught commonly customers among 30 customers commonly caught among heart customers 36 heart customers commonly caught heart customers 42 commonly caught among heart customers caught 48 among commonly 50 I read all 50 words correctly in 30 seconds. I will keep practicing these words. Set 2 wrote writer throughout scenes once writer 6 wrote once scenes throughout writer scenes 12 wrote once throughout once scenes wrote 18 throughout writer throughout wrote writer scenes 24 once throughout writer scenes once wrote 30 scenes throughout once writer wrote wrote 36 once throughout writer scenes once scenes 42 throughout wrote writer scenes throughout writer 48 wrote once 50 I read all 50 words correctly in 30 seconds. I will keep practicing these words. continued on next page page 9
Set 3 bodies characters curtain dangers highest characters 6 bodies dangers highest curtain characters dangers 12 bodies curtain highest characters dangers highest 18 curtain bodies curtain bodies characters dangers 24 highest curtain highest bodies dangers characters 30 dangers curtain highest bodies characters bodies 36 curtain highest characters dangers highest dangers 42 curtain characters bodies dangers characters curtain 48 bodies highest 50 I read all 50 words correctly in 30 seconds. I will keep practicing these words. Set 4 written who school ready moving written 6 ready moving school who who written 12 ready school moving school who written 18 moving ready school ready who written 24 moving who written school ready moving 30 ready school written moving who moving 36 school ready who written moving ready 42 school who written ready moving who 48 written school 50 I read all 50 words correctly in 30 seconds. I will keep practicing these words. continued on next page page 10
Set 5 imagined known learned money more known 6 imagined more money learned known imagined 12 money learned more more learned known 18 imagined money learned money imagined known 24 more imagined money more learned known 30 money learned known imagined more learned 36 known more money imagined more money 42 learned known imagined money learned imagined 48 known more 50 I read all 50 words correctly in 30 seconds. I will keep practicing these words. page 11
Read the texts below with a partner. Take turns reading and listening. You may need help with the bold words. First, read the entire text aloud. Then, read the text again. Use a timer this time to see how long it takes you to read. The Reader Should 1. Read the words carefully and clearly. 2. Pay attention to punctuation and read with expression. The Listener Should 1. Listen closely to the reader. Is the reading smooth, clear, and easy to understand? 2. Ask the reader a question about the text when he or she has finished reading. A Favorite Dessert Every Friday, Mayor Lanza dined at a downtown restaurant that served his favorite dessert, coconut pudding. One evening, he noticed that coconut pudding was no longer on the menu. He spoke to the manager to ask why it was not available. Too few people were ordering coconut pudding, so we stopped making it, the manager explained. Please put it back on the menu next Friday, said the mayor. I promise you that it will be a popular dessert. The following Friday, the mayor was pleased to see that coconut pudding was on the menu. After finishing his meal, he took a stroll around the restaurant, stopping at different tables. Hello, I am Mayor Lanza, he said to the diners. Please allow me to recommend the coconut pudding for dessert. It is delectable! The mayor chatted with people for a while and then returned to his table. Happily, he motioned to his server and said, For dessert, I would like the coconut pudding. The server replied, I am sorry, sir, but coconut pudding has been surprisingly popular this evening. We have just run out of it. Sherlock Holmes If you were to check a database of recent movies and TV shows, chances are high that you d find examples featuring Sherlock Holmes. This fictional detective first appeared in short stories by the British author Arthur Conan Doyle, beginning in 1887. Holmes has continued to inspire writers to produce new adventures for him, and he remains an amazingly popular character. Holmes has astonishing powers of observation. He notices tiny details and uses his skill at deductive reasoning to put clues together. He is always able to figure out who committed the crime in question and how it was done. His no-nonsense manner shows that emotions are not important to him; he is more interested in engaging his everactive mind. His friend and helper, Dr. Watson, is often responsible for sharing Holmes s adventures with the reading public. Doyle grew tired of his character and tried to kill off Holmes in a story in 1894. Readers protested so strongly that the author brought Holmes back to life. Even after Doyle s death in 1930, his character lived on and shows no signs of vanishing anytime soon. page 12
Read the texts below with a partner. Take turns reading and listening. You may need help with the bold words. First, read the entire text aloud. Then, read the text again. Use a timer this time to see how long it takes you to read. The Reader Should 1. Read the words carefully and clearly. 2. Pay attention to punctuation and read with expression. The Listener Should 1. Listen closely to the reader. Is the reading smooth, clear, and easy to understand? 2. Ask the reader a question about the text when he or she has finished reading. A Strength Test To be active and fit, people need muscle strength. In the upper body, groups of muscles help in lifting, pulling, maintaining good posture, and more. One simple test of upper-body muscle strength is the 90-degree push-up. It also tests endurance how many repeated actions the muscles can do. Partners do the test together. The objective is to complete as many push-ups as possible at the rate of one every three seconds. One partner performs the push-ups while the other counts and makes sure the performer s body is held correctly. The performer begins lying face-down on a floor mat with the hands slightly wider than the shoulders and the legs straight and slightly apart. Then the performer pushes off the mat to straighten the arms, keeping the legs and back straight, too. The performer lowers the body just until the elbows bend at an exact 90-degree angle and pushes up again. The down-and-up motion counts as one push-up. The test ends when a push-up is done incorrectly. Then the partners switch places. These push-ups can also be a practice exercise to build upper-body muscle strength and endurance. Fishy Animals At times, English speakers have come up with names for fish by picturing other animals. Take the catfish, for example. People noticed the long, thin growths of skin near the fish s mouth and pictured a cat s whiskers. These growths, called barbels, help the catfish sense its surroundings. There are hundreds of species of catfish around the world, with varied names. If there are catfish, are there dogfish? Yes. The dogfish is a kind of shark. Its slender body, sharp spine, and other features are not at all doglike. But people noticed these sharks hunting together and pictured packs of dogs. The different species of dogfish have varied common names. English speakers pictured a parrot s beak when they saw the front teeth of the parrotfish. They also named the goatfish, squirrelfish, toadfish, and butterflyfish. Scientists avoid the confusion of varied common names for creatures. The Latin scientific name has two parts, genus and species. One catfish of North America, for example, is Ictalurus punctatus. The genus label Ictalurus means fish cat ; and the species name punctatus means pointed, for the points, or spots, on the fish s sides. page 13
ANSWER KEY Read each question below. Then, circle the two words in each question in which the vowel a is pronounced as a schwa (/ /). Finally, answer yes or no to each question. e 1. Should athletes eat pizza and soda for dinner every night? ê Yes / No 2. Would you avoid sitting on a sofa if it were filled with maggots and ants? ê Yes / No 3. Could someone play a tuba while marching in a parade? ê Yes / No 4. Would it be helpful if you set a number of alarms to go off in yoga class? ê Yes / No 5. If you are in the wild, should you avoid angry gorillas? ê Yes / No 6. Could you travel across a lagoon in a small boat? ê Yes / No 7. If someone is in a coma, is he or she alert and able to walk or drive? ê Yes / No 8. Should you walk around a banana peel? ê Yes / No 9. Do you salute every machine that you see? ê Yes / No 10. Should you hold an antenna above your head? ê Yes / No 11. Is it useful to add extra commas when you are writing a letter? ê Yes / No 12. If you were asleep, would be able to enjoy a beautiful vista? ê Yes / No Sort the phrases below into the correct lists. agreeable children terrible dancers responsible teens affordable bracelets indestructible metal enjoyable games edible sweets capable teachers People Things agreeable children affordable bracelets terrible dancers indestructible metal responsible teens enjoyable games capable teachers edible sweets On the back, write a short story that includes one of the people and one of the things. Student answers may vary. page 2 Each word below contains a silent b, k, or w. Underline the silent letter and then write each word in the correct list. wreath crumb knead doubt plumber sword climb knuckle wriggle kneel knit wrap Silent b Silent k Silent w crumb knead wreath doubt knuckle sword plumber kneel wriggle climb knit wrap Look at the words with a silent Write the correct word. 1. Which word rhymes with out? doubt 2. Which word rhymes with hum? crumb 3. Which word rhymes with summer? plumber 4. Which word rhymes with time? climb Look at the words with a silent k. Write the correct word. 5. Which word rhymes with heel? kneel 6. Which word rhymes with fit? knit 7. Which word rhymes with chuckle? knuckle 8. Which word rhymes with deed? knead Look at the words with a silent w. Write the correct word. 9. Which word rhymes with squiggle? wriggle 10. Which word rhymes with bored? sword 11. Which word rhymes with clap? wrap 12. Which word rhymes with teeth? wreath On the back, write six sentences. Each sentence should contain two of the words with silent letters. Student answers may vary. page 1
ANSWER KEY Use -ture or -age to complete each word. Then, add the suffix(es) to create a new word. 1. cul + ture = + s = culture cultures 2. pack + age = package + ing = packaging 3. vill + age = village + er + s= villagers 4. frac + ture = fracture + ed = fractured 5. pic + ture = picture + ing = picturing 6. short + age = shortage + s = shortages 7. nur + ture = nurture + ing = nurturing 8. man + age = manage + er + s = managers 9. band + age = bandage + s = bandages 10. lec + ture = lecture + s = lectures Use the words above to answer the puzzles below. Use a dictionary if you need to. 1. Broken = fractured 2. People who oversee other people = managers 3. Long talks that students listen to = lectures 4. Lack of needed supplies = shortages 5. Things used to fix sprains, wounds, or other injuries = bandages 6. Seeing a vision in your mind = picturing 7. Examples are plastic wrap and boxes = packaging 8. People who live in a small town = villagers 9. Helping and protecting others = nurturing On the back, list three different cultures that you have enjoyed learning about. Student answers may vary. page 4 Pick the word that fits best with each set. Use a dictionary or thesaurus if you need to. gullible edible flexible visible incredible sensible terrible accessible terrible incredible 1. bad / horrible ê 2. unbelievable / amazing ê 3. stretchy / bendable ê flexible 4. wise / intelligent ê sensible 5. reachable / available ê accessible 6. noticeable / clear ê visible 7. foolish / unsuspecting ê gullible 8. tasty / appetizing ê edible Add the suffix -able to each word. Remember the major spelling rules! 1. use + able = usable 2. understand + able = understandable 3. adore + able = adorable 4. avoid + able = avoidable 5. like + able = likable 6. read + able = readable 7. accept + able = acceptable 8. erase + able = erasable Sort the words above into the correct lists. Final e in Base Word Dropped No Change to Base Word usable understandable adorable abvoidable likable readable erasable acceptable On the back, list one antonym for each of the words that required no change to the base word. Use a thesaurus if you need to. Student answers may vary. page 3
ANSWER KEY Draw a picture of each phrase. Student answers may vary. 1. the capture of a creature from space 2. damage to nature 3. someone trying to salvage the wreckage of a fire 4. a parade through a pasture 5. a chinchilla sitting on a piece of furniture 6. a message in a rotunda On the back, draw a picture of someone saluting another person. Student answers may vary. page 6 Answer each question below with at least one complete sentence. Student answers may vary. 1. If you could go on a long sea voyage, what are three places that you would visit? Why? 2. Who is one person whom you adore? Why do you adore him or her? 3. So far, what has been your greatest life adventure? Why? 4. Who is one character (in a book, TV show, or movie) who had a vendetta against someone else? How did the hatred begin? 5. Who is one character (in a book, TV show, or movie) who could be described as savage? Explain your answer. 6. If a water pipe were to rupture in your house, what would you do? Why? On the back, draw a picture of your departure for the long sea voyage that you described above. Student answers may vary. page 5
ANSWER KEY Read each set of sentences out loud. Stress the words in bold. Write each bold word three times. Read Write The curtain closed after each of the scenes. The curtain closed after each of the scenes. curtain curtain curtain scenes scenes scenes At school, we learned about bodies of water. At school, we learned about bodies of water. c. At school, we learned about bodies of water. c. school school school learned learned learned bodies bodies bodies Who is a commonly known writer? Who is a commonly known writer? c. Who is a commonly known writer? d. Who is a commonly known writer? c. d. who commonly known writer who commonly known writer who commonly known writer The characters faced many dangers. The characters faced many dangers. characters dangers characters dangers characters dangers Some customers will spend more money. Some customers will spend more money. c. Some customers will spend more money. c. customers spend money customers spend money customers spend money She holds the prize for the highest jump. She holds the prize for the highest jump. holds highest holds highest holds highest I once imagined moving to outer space. I once imagined moving to outer space. c. I once imagined moving to outer space. c. once once once imagined moving imagined moving imagined moving The fan was ready and caught the foul ball. The fan was ready and caught the foul ball. ready ready ready caught caught caught Who had written heart among the scribbles? written written written Who had written heart among the scribbles? heart heart heart c. Who had written heart among the scribbles? among among among He wrote stories throughout his life. He wrote stories throughout his life. Make flashcards for the words above that are hard to read or spell. wrote throughout wrote throughout wrote throughout page 8 Put the words in the correct list. among learned bodies wrote caught characters dangers known who money throughout commonly highest holds writer more written once curtain imagined school scenes ready heart moving Begin with A-H Begin with I-P Begin with Q-Z among bodies caught characters commonly curtain dangers heart highest holds imagined known learned money more moving once ready scenes school throughout who writer written wrote Pick one list. On the back, put the words in alphabetical order. (See above.) page 7
ANSWER KEY Set 3 bodies characters curtain dangers highest characters 6 bodies dangers highest curtain characters dangers 12 bodies curtain highest characters dangers highest 18 curtain bodies curtain bodies characters dangers 24 highest curtain highest bodies dangers characters 30 dangers curtain highest bodies characters bodies 36 curtain highest characters dangers highest dangers 42 curtain characters bodies dangers characters curtain 48 bodies highest 50 I read all 50 words correctly in 30 seconds. I will keep practicing these words. Set 4 written who school ready moving written 6 ready moving school who who written 12 ready school moving school who written 18 moving ready school ready who written 24 moving who written school ready moving 30 ready school written moving who moving 36 school ready who written moving ready 42 school who written ready moving who 48 written school 50 I read all 50 words correctly in 30 seconds. I will keep practicing these words. continued on next page page 10 If working by yourself: Set a timer for 30 seconds. Try to read each set of 50 words in 30 seconds. Start at the first word and read across each row. Put a slash (/) after the last word that you read. If working with a partner: Set a timer for 30 seconds. Read the words aloud and have your partner follow along. Try to read each set of 50 words in 30 seconds. Start at the first word and read across each row. Your partner should put a slash (/) after the last word that you read and circle any words that were hard for you to read. Set 1 among caught commonly customers heart caught 6 commonly heart among customers caught customers 12 among heart commonly commonly among customers 18 caught heart commonly among customers heart 24 caught heart caught commonly customers among 30 customers commonly caught among heart customers 36 heart customers commonly caught heart customers 42 commonly caught among heart customers caught 48 among commonly 50 I read all 50 words correctly in 30 seconds. I will keep practicing these words. Set 2 wrote writer throughout scenes once writer 6 wrote once scenes throughout writer scenes 12 wrote once throughout once scenes wrote 18 throughout writer throughout wrote writer scenes 24 once throughout writer scenes once wrote 30 scenes throughout once writer wrote wrote 36 once throughout writer scenes once scenes 42 throughout wrote writer scenes throughout writer 48 wrote once 50 I read all 50 words correctly in 30 seconds. I will keep practicing these words. continued on next page page 9
ANSWER KEY Read the texts below with a partner. Take turns reading and listening. You may need help with the bold words. First, read the entire text aloud. Then, read the text again. Use a timer this time to see how long it takes you to read. The Reader Should 1. Read the words carefully and clearly. 2. Pay attention to punctuation and read with expression. The Listener Should 1. Listen closely to the reader. Is the reading smooth, clear, and easy to understand? 2. Ask the reader a question about the text when he or she has finished reading. A Favorite Dessert Every Friday, Mayor Lanza dined at a downtown restaurant that served his favorite dessert, coconut pudding. One evening, he noticed that coconut pudding was no longer on the menu. He spoke to the manager to ask why it was not available. Too few people were ordering coconut pudding, so we stopped making it, the manager explained. Please put it back on the menu next Friday, said the mayor. I promise you that it will be a popular dessert. The following Friday, the mayor was pleased to see that coconut pudding was on the menu. After finishing his meal, he took a stroll around the restaurant, stopping at different tables. Hello, I am Mayor Lanza, he said to the diners. Please allow me to recommend the coconut pudding for dessert. It is delectable! The mayor chatted with people for a while and then returned to his table. Happily, he motioned to his server and said, For dessert, I would like the coconut pudding. The server replied, I am sorry, sir, but coconut pudding has been surprisingly popular this evening. We have just run out of it. Sherlock Holmes If you were to check a database of recent movies and TV shows, chances are high that you d find examples featuring Sherlock Holmes. This fictional detective first appeared in short stories by the British author Arthur Conan Doyle, beginning in 1887. Holmes has continued to inspire writers to produce new adventures for him, and he remains an amazingly popular character. Holmes has astonishing powers of observation. He notices tiny details and uses his skill at deductive reasoning to put clues together. He is always able to figure out who committed the crime in question and how it was done. His no-nonsense manner shows that emotions are not important to him; he is more interested in engaging his everactive mind. His friend and helper, Dr. Watson, is often responsible for sharing Holmes s adventures with the reading public. Doyle grew tired of his character and tried to kill off Holmes in a story in 1894. Readers protested so strongly that the author brought Holmes back to life. Even after Doyle s death in 1930, his character lived on and shows no signs of vanishing anytime soon. page 12 Set 5 imagined known learned money more known 6 imagined more money learned known imagined 12 money learned more more learned known 18 imagined money learned money imagined known 24 more imagined money more learned known 30 money learned known imagined more learned 36 known more money imagined more money 42 learned known imagined money learned imagined 48 known more 50 I read all 50 words correctly in 30 seconds. I will keep practicing these words. page 11
ANSWER KEY Read the texts below with a partner. Take turns reading and listening. You may need help with the bold words. First, read the entire text aloud. Then, read the text again. Use a timer this time to see how long it takes you to read. The Reader Should 1. Read the words carefully and clearly. 2. Pay attention to punctuation and read with expression. The Listener Should 1. Listen closely to the reader. Is the reading smooth, clear, and easy to understand? 2. Ask the reader a question about the text when he or she has finished reading. A Strength Test To be active and fit, people need muscle strength. In the upper body, groups of muscles help in lifting, pulling, maintaining good posture, and more. One simple test of upper-body muscle strength is the 90-degree push-up. It also tests endurance how many repeated actions the muscles can do. Partners do the test together. The objective is to complete as many push-ups as possible at the rate of one every three seconds. One partner performs the push-ups while the other counts and makes sure the performer s body is held correctly. The performer begins lying face-down on a floor mat with the hands slightly wider than the shoulders and the legs straight and slightly apart. Then the performer pushes off the mat to straighten the arms, keeping the legs and back straight, too. The performer lowers the body just until the elbows bend at an exact 90-degree angle and pushes up again. The down-and-up motion counts as one push-up. The test ends when a push-up is done incorrectly. Then the partners switch places. These push-ups can also be a practice exercise to build upper-body muscle strength and endurance. Fishy Animals At times, English speakers have come up with names for fish by picturing other animals. Take the catfish, for example. People noticed the long, thin growths of skin near the fish s mouth and pictured a cat s whiskers. These growths, called barbels, help the catfish sense its surroundings. There are hundreds of species of catfish around the world, with varied names. If there are catfish, are there dogfish? Yes. The dogfish is a kind of shark. Its slender body, sharp spine, and other features are not at all doglike. But people noticed these sharks hunting together and pictured packs of dogs. The different species of dogfish have varied common names. English speakers pictured a parrot s beak when they saw the front teeth of the parrotfish. They also named the goatfish, squirrelfish, toadfish, and butterflyfish. Scientists avoid the confusion of varied common names for creatures. The Latin scientific name has two parts, genus and species. One catfish of North America, for example, is Ictalurus punctatus. The genus label Ictalurus means fish cat ; and the species name punctatus means pointed, for the points, or spots, on the fish s sides. page 13