RIC

It had taken us nearly five hours from the river to reach Three-Mile House that hot summer day in the Grand Canyon. We were already tiring from the hike, and knowing that a relentlessly uphill slog still lay ahead, we gratefully rested there.

The trail wound upward through awesome—in the true sense of the word—scenery, rich with spectacular rock formations. The other hikers in the hut, also fatigued from their challenging climbs, seemed in an upbeat mood. Eventually, we gathered our courage to resume the twisting trail to the rim.

Mile-and-a-Half House was our next stopping point, and reaching it was a steady struggle. Our muscles ached, our gusto was diminished, and we were drained upon arrival. After a much-appreciated second rest, longer than our first, we reluctantly began the final leg of our ascent.

The hike was not getting any easier in the heat, and we paused continuously. While wishing the trek were over, we spotted it overhead: an immense monkey face! That’s precisely what the eroded rocks looked like. We excitedly told everyone we passed about where to see Mile-anda-Quarter Monkey, as we named it. Each hiker gladly promised to keep a lookout for it. Suddenly, amazingly, we felt a renewed bounce in our step. Discovering the giant monkey face had put wings on our feet. Energized, we practically flew out of the canyon, and that was awesome, too.

R - What best describes the mood of the hikers as they approached their second rest stop?  

A. bored and miserable

B. exhausted and a little grumpy

C. cheerful and full of anticipation

D. gloomy and disappointed

What helped you answer? 

C -  Which would be a trek?

A. a car ride to the mall

B. a skateboard ride down a hill

C. a lengthy hike in the snow

D. a relaxing stroll around the block What helped you answer? 

R - What factors made the hike so challenging? 

I - Explain the reason for the hikers’ change in mood on the final leg of their ascent. 

Wednesday 2nd December 

LC: To retrieve information from a non-fiction text