Name: edHelper

Chinese Fable: Chinese Zodiac

Long ago in China, the Jade Emperor, the almighty Chinese God, decided to have a race. The Jade Emperor was the ruler of the heavens. He announced that he would set up a system that runs in a 12-year cycle. He called it the Zodiac. He offered to hold a contest on his birthday. The first twelve animals of his kingdom to arrive at the finish line would receive the honor of having a year named after them. All the animals were very excited!

Rat was ambitious. It wanted to win the first prize. Yet, it had two problems. The first was about the timing. Because the race would start at the crack of dawn, Rat was afraid that it could not wake up on time. The second was about the route. As the finish line would be directly beyond a swift river, Rat needed to find a way to cross the current. Just when Rat was contemplating a solution, it bumped into its best friend, Cat. After a lengthy discussion, the two animals came up with a brilliant idea. They decided to solicit help from Ox. Rat and Cat figured that Ox - always being an early riser and a good swimmer - could wake them up before sunrise and carry them across the river. With their minds made up, Rat and Cat went to see Ox. Out of kindness, Ox agreed to help. Hence, the three animals formed an alliance. They promised to help each other, so they could share the first prize.

On the day of the race, Ox woke up Rat and Cat and put them on its back. Just when Ox was half way across the river, Rat had a second thought about the plan. It wondered, "Why should I share the glory with Cat? Look at it! It just lies on Ox's back sleeping! What a lazy animal Cat is! Come to think of it, what if Cat decides not to honor the agreement? It runs fast. Surely, it can get to the finish line before I do, once Ox reaches the bank." Eager to win, Rat decided to get rid of Cat. It quietly crept next to Cat and gave it a push. SPLASH! Cat fell into the river. Not knowing how to swim, Cat called out for help. To its horror, Rat pretended not to hear its pleas and urged Ox to keep on moving.

Finally, Ox reached the other side of the river and climbed ashore. As soon as they were on the dry land, Rat jumped from Ox's back and ran ahead toward the finish line. Ox could not believe its eyes! It called out, "Wait for me! I thought we had a pact! And where is Cat?" Rat didn't stop. It kept on charging ahead. Just as it had dreamed,Rat won the contest! The Jade Emperor congratulated Rat and named the first year "Rat." Before long, Ox also reached the finish line and took the second spot. Ox was furious at Rat. It accused Rat of breaking the deal. Rat laughed smugly and said, "How naive you are! Why should I - the smartest of all creatures - share the title with Cat and you? It's your own mistake to trust me!" Ox wanted to argue more, but it was not very good at expressing its opinions. Though upset by Rat's deceitful act, Ox decided to drop the matter.

Then, Tiger arrived and settled for the third prize. The Jade Emperor waited patiently for more animals to come. From a distance, he heard a thumping sound and saw Rabbit leaping toward him. He registered Rabbit as the fourth Zodiac animal. Just as he was recording Rabbit in his book, Dragon descended from the sky and took the fifth place. The Jade Emperor wondered how Rabbit crossed the river and why Dragon came so late. Rabbit answered first. It told the Jade Emperor that, thanks to its powerful hind legs, it was able to jump from one stone to another that were scattered across the riverbed. Dragon apologized to the Jade Emperor for being late. It said that, on the way here, it saw people crying and stopped to ask why. People told Dragon that they wanted to grow rice, but there wasn't enough rain. Feeling compassion, Dragon gathered clouds and made rain for them. The Jade Emperor was happy. He praised Rabbit for its quick wit and Dragon for its unselfishness.

Next to reach the finish line was Snake. It beat Horse by a narrow margin.

The Jade Emperor looked out to the river and saw Monkey, Goat, and Rooster standing on a log and working as a team to maneuver their makeshift raft across the swift current. Once ashore, they helped each other to reach the destination. Goat took eighth place, Monkey ninth, and Rooster took tenth.

After a while, no other animals showed up. Then, suddenly, Dog emerged. It told the Jade Emperor that it could have been here earlier, had it not stopped to play in the water.

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Now, just one more spot was left in the Chinese Zodiac. Which animal would come next? Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Chicken, Dog, and the Jade Emperor all fixed their eyes on a black dot that gradually drew closer. Aha! It was Pig. Pig told the Jade Emperor that it overslept. It was happy that it secured the last prize!

The Jade Emperor gathered all twelve winners together and congratulated them. Then, all of a sudden, he heard noises coming from the direction of the river. He turned to look what the commotion was about. It was Cat! Soaking wet and gasping, Cat rushed to the Jade Emperor and called out, "I am here! I am here! Did I win?" The Jade Emperor explained to Cat that it was too late. He only needed twelve animals for the Zodiac, and unfortunately, Cat was the 13th animal to cross the finish line. Enraged, Cat charged toward Rat and wanted to kill the betrayer. Yet, Rat was faster. It sought refuge by hiding under the Jade Emperor's chair. Seeing this and not wanting to anger the Jade Emperor, Cat refrained from its pursuit. It vowed that Rat would now be its archenemy. From that point on even until today, Rat always tries to stay clear of Cat!

Chinese Fable: Chinese Zodiac

Questions

1. How many animals does the Chinese Zodiac have?

A. twelveB. sevenC. twentyD. thirteen

2. Which three animals teamed up to cross the river with a log?

A. Dragon, Tiger, and RabbitB. Rooster, Monkey, and GoatC. Rat, Cat, and OxD. Pig, Dog, and Horse

3. Why did Dragon come late?

A. It stopped on the way to kidnap a princess.B. It stopped on the way to make rain.C. It stopped on the way to burn a forest.D. It stopped on the way to put out a fire.

4. Jade Emperor was disgusted by Rat's cheating act, so he disqualified Rat and gave the first prize to Cat.

A. trueB. false

5. Rabbit crossed the river by hopping from one stone to another that were scattered across the riverbed.

A. falseB. true

6. Which of the following animals represents the seventh year of the Chinese Zodiac?

A. HorseB. RabbitC. MonkeyD. Pig

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9 4 0 9 - 3 8 = - 6 1 0 - 4 9 93 2 - 6

Use the pieces above to help you fill in the runaway math puzzle.

6, 8, 10, 12, , 16double 600 6 less than 456

654+

84443-

879-

16 + = 34 6 + = 8 8 + = 11 10 + = 12

- = 5 -

-

2 6 = 5 - 2

=

7

6 = - 1

4 9

1 0 = - 3

8 - 7 = -

6

5 - 4 = 1 0 9

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Chinese New Year

As the clock strikes midnight on the eve of the Chinese New Year, firecracker sounds pound heavily against our eardrums, and fireworks paint the night sky in red, yellow, orange, blue, and green. People crowd the streets and exchange greetings with one another. For the next fifteen days, Chinese people all over the world reunite with their families, carry out rituals to show respect for their ancestors and mythical gods, or simply have a good time!

Each year the Chinese New Year falls sometime in January or February. The reason that the Chinese New Year is never celebrated on the same day every year is because of the calendar that Chinese people use to count days. The Gregorian calendar we commonly use today tracks the movement of the sun. This calendar is different from the Chinese calendar. The Chinese calendar, which is a lunar calendar, tracks the movement of the moon. The Chinese New Year starts with the new moon on the first day of a new year and ends on the full moon fifteen days later.

According to the most popular Chinese myth, the origin of Chinese New Year celebrations was to scare away a man-eating monster called Nian. Nian lived in a high mountain. It came down from its hideout once a year and attacked villagers promptly at midnight on the eve of a new year. Villagers were terrified and didn't know what to do. Finally, a villager discovered that Nian was afraid of the color red, fire, and loud noises. He advised his fellow villagers to wear red, set fires, and make lots of noise to frighten away Nian. As doubtful as his fellow villagers were, they decided to follow his advice. Well, they had nothing to lose, really!

When the time moved slowly past midnight, a new year arrived and, as expected, Nian roared and charged toward the village at full force. Suddenly, the dark landscape lit up - villagers came out of their homes wearing red outfits, carrying torches, and setting off firecrackers or banging on any object with which they could make noise. Nian was startled, and it fled as fast as its feet could carry it. From that point on, Chinese people always celebrate their New Year by wearing red, decorating their houses in red, and lighting firecrackers so Nian doesn't come back again. In fact, the Chinese term "Guo Nian" means not only to welcome the passing of an old year, but also to celebrate the escape from Nian's annual attack.

Chinese New Year

Questions

1. When is the Chinese New Year celebrated every year?

A. sometime in February or MarchB. January 1stC. sometime in January or FebruaryD. sometime in December or January

2. The Chinese calendar tracks the movement of the sun whereas the Gregorian calendar tracks the movement of the moon.

A. falseB. true

3. The Chinese calendar is what type of calendar?

A. solar calendarB. Julian calendarC. Gregorian calendarD. lunar calendar

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4. According to legend, what was the original purpose of Chinese New Year celebrations?

A. to show their respect for their ancestors and mythical godsB. to scare away a monster called NianC. to celebrate a good harvestD. to have a fixed family reunion time

5. Which color did Nian dislike?

A. pinkB. orangeC. yellowD. red

6. Which of the following was Nian NOT afraid of?

A. red colorsB. noisesC. fireD. cats

7. Nian came down from a high mountain once a year and attacked the village on the fifteenth day of a new year.

A. trueB. false

8. For how many days do Chinese people celebrate their New Year?

A. 10B. 1C. 15D. 5

9. What is the meaning of the Chinese term "Guo Nian"?

A. Good-bye.B. Celebrate a new year free of Nian's annual attack.C. Good luck!D. How are you?

9 7- 6 6

Write a word to describe February.6 9

- 6 08 7

- 6 68 8

- 3 9

Color in 34 of the rectangle.

05 31 34

5678910

11 12 12

5 + = 7 17 + = 19 5 + = 13 14 + = 18

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x

72

9 8

x

10

2

x

4

2

x

20

4

x

72

8

x

72

9

x

72

8

x

49

7

42 ÷ 6 = 81 ÷ 9 = 72 ÷ 9 =

32 ÷ 8 = 25 ÷ 5 = 45 ÷ 9 =

8 ÷ 4 = 42 ÷ 7 = 16 ÷ 8 =

54 ÷ 9 = 30 ÷ 5 = 12 ÷ 3 =

÷ 6 = 2 ÷ 7 = 2 18 ÷ = 9

35 ÷ = 5 48 ÷ = 6 ÷ 3 = 3

12 ÷ = 6 ÷ 4 = 5 64 ÷ = 8

÷ 3 = 8 24 ÷ = 3 ÷ 2 = 4

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88+

13 75

74+

40

+

48 39

+

37 24

56+

25

65+

26

92+

37

+

33 48

82+

61

+

20 49

98+

57+ +

45 12 15 26

93+

+

51+

19 23 37 14

82+

25+ +

9 16 32 25

62+

+

46+

3 13 16 30

+

70+

17+

12 58 6 11

70+

+

57+

4 9 37 20

3 more than 863 5 - 3 + 6 - 6 How many hours are there from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.?

Name: edHelper

Po's New YearBy Mary Lynn Bushong

Li Po sat down on a stool. He was tired. He had been helping clean the house. His mother said they were sweeping away last year's bad luck.

Po was not too sure about that. He had looked at the dirt. It only looked like dirt. What did bad luck look like?

The boy did not sit very long. His grandmother had more work for him to help do.

When they were finally done, Grandmother put the broom and dustpan away. "We have swept away all the bad luck," she said to Po. "We do not want to sweep away good luck, too, so we put them away."

Mother was in the kitchen making supper. He liked to watch his mother prepare the meal.

The Chinese New Year's Eve supper was always something special. His aunts and uncles would be coming to eat here because this was where their mother lived.

Sometimes Po's mother complained about all the extra work. He knew that she was really very proud. It was a great honor to have everyone come to their house.

Mother was busy preparing the fish and chicken. They would have at least eight different foods to eat.

Po loved the oranges and the dumplings best of all. The other foods, like the long noodles and sticky rice cakes,were also tasty. When they had so many foods, it was thought that they could make the new year better.

Soon relatives began to arrive. Po's cousins came. They took the red paper posters that Po's father had made and hung them on the walls and in the windows. Many of them had the word "fu," which means luck and happiness. It made Po feel good to see the posters.

Everyone was expected to talk a lot during the meal. The family laughed and told stories. If they all talked enough, it could help Grandmother live longer. That's what Po's father told him. Po liked his grandmother.

They had lots of food, but not all of it was eaten that evening. It was good luck to save some for the next day. That could mean there would be plenty of food for the whole year.

Po's favorite part of the whole evening was still to come. Red packets of money would soon be given out. He could hardly wait. If he was lucky, it would be enough to buy something he wanted.

He smiled. He heard that some people only celebrated the new year for one day. In China, they celebrated for fifteen days! That made him feel lucky.

Name: edHelper

Po's New Year

Questions

1. Why was Po helping his family clean the house?

A. to get rid of bad luckB. to waste timeC. to make everyone happyD. to have plenty of work in the new year

2. The broom was put away so they would not sweep away ______.

3. Po liked to watch his mother cook.

A. trueB. false

4. Po's mother was cooking hamburgers for supper.

A. falseB. true

5. What word meant luck and happiness?

A. chiB. fuC. fanD. chu

6. Why did Po's family make sure not to eat all the food?

A. They could feed the dog.B. They could give some to the poor.C. They could eat leftovers.D. It was considered good luck to save food for the next day.

7. What was given in red packets?

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Cross off the number that does NOT belong.

2, 2, 5, 7, 8, 12, 11, 17, 14, 22, 24, 17, 27, 20, 32

Why does __________ not belong in the pattern?

Cross off the number that does NOT belong.

8, 8, 11, 24, 14, 40, 17, 56, 20, 36, 72, 23, 88, 26, 104

Why does __________ not belong in the pattern?

Name: edHelper

Chinese New YearBy Jody Williams

The Chinese New Year is an important holiday for Chinese people all over the world.It is also called the Spring Festival. Many people call it the Lunar New Year. It is a time to celebrate. Family gathers. Friends visit. The celebration includes food, dragon dances,and fireworks. Chinese New Year is not celebrated on January 1. It begins with the new moon that comes between January 21 and February 21. It ends on the fifteenth day of the first calendar month.

Chinese legend says that a mythical beast appeared. Its name was Nian. Nian means "year" in Chinese. Nian would come on the first day of every new year. It would eat livestock and crops. It would attack villagers. Villagers would put food outside their doors as a way to protect themselves. They hoped that Nian would eat the food instead of them.

The tale says that Nian was once scared away by a child. The child was wearing red. The villagers thought that Nian was scared of red. Red lanterns were hung in windows and doors when each new year came. People also used firecrackers to scare Nian away. Nian never came to the village again after that.

The Chinese New Year is filled with traditions. This story is just one of many that is told again and again.

Chinese New Year

Questions

1. The Chinese New Year is also called ______.

A. the Spring FestivalB. the Lunar New YearC. both A and BD. neither A nor B

2. Chinese New Year is not celebrated on just one day.

A. falseB. true

3. Who is Nian?

4. How did the villagers in the tale protect themselves from Nian?

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5. What color scared Nian away in the tale?

A. greenB. yellowC. redD. blue

6. According to the legend, did Nian return to the village?

A. yesB. no

Fill in the boxes so each line equals 8.

8

12 -

4 x

÷ 12

( - 1 ) +

Robert has a box of dog biscuits. There are 30 biscuits in the box. There are 11 green and 12 brown biscuits. The other biscuits are white. How many biscuits are white?

7 6- 1 3

someon

sommeone

somoene

someone

6

+ 2

8

Fill in the blanks withthese numbers:

3, 4, 1

3

+ 4 4

Fill in the blanks withthese numbers:

8, 4, 7

2 4+ 6 0

3 7+ 2 1

1 7+ 7 2

1 6+ 3 2

4 1+ 4 6

2 9+ 5 4

8 9 - 7 =

9 + 3 = 7 - 6 = 5 + 9 = 13 - 6 =

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Count by 4s.

4 , 8 , 12 , , , , , , ,

Draw ONE continuous line that touches every box ONCE.Count by 4s. Find the box with the number 4. Move up, down, right, or left.Keep counting until you reach 72. Do not move into a spot with a picture.

72

8

4

20

Sudoku Sums of 7Each row, column, and box must have the numbers 1 through 4.All four numbers must be used, and none can be repeated.Hint: Look for sudoku sums. The sum of the two boxes inside of the dashed lines is 7.Here is an example of a sudoku sum of 7: 2 5

1 4

1 4 3

3

word root in can mean not insomnia, insane

4 + = 6

6 + = 15

7 + = 20

4 + = 9

9 + = 18

9 + = 14

7 + = 19

8 + = 10

14 + = 17