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Reader's Bank_Level 5_Unit 05                                    Reading Text

In Africa, there is an amazing bird called a honeyguide. Can you guess what this bird loves? As you can see from the name, the answer is honey! Honeyguides cannot get honey by themselves. But they know how to get help from humans. When the bird discovers a bee nest full of honey, it f lies around looking for a human. Then, the bird sings to get the human’s attention. Once the human sees the bird, it starts its amazing guide service. The honeyguide f lies from tree to tree and leads the human back to the bee nest. When they get there, the human makes a fire under the nest. This makes the bees leave. The human takes out the honey, but never forgets to give some to the bird. Africans believe that if the person doesn’t return the favor, bad luck will follow.

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When I went to the market with my mom, we stopped at a farm stand. I looked at some fruit and vegetables. Then, I saw some glass jars on a shelf. I read the labels. There were pickles, jellies, and F.R.O.G. jam. Frog jam? The name sounded strange, so I did not want to try it. I did not even look inside the jar. Later, I checked online. I found out that F.R.O.G. stands for “Figs, Raspberries, Oranges, and Ginger.” My friends said it tastes really good. I realized I missed out on a treat because I didn’t go beyond the label on the jar. I sometimes skip new foods if their names sound strange, ignore books with boring covers, or avoid hobbies I think I won’t be good at. But if I try them, I might find something tasty, meaningful, or fun. It’s important to stay curious and look a little deeper. Sometimes the best surprises are hidden behind the labels.

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In the sea, there are animals that look like rocks. These animals are made up of many tiny living things. Together, they make up big homes called coral reefs. Coral reefs give sea animals a safe place to live and help protect the land from big waves and storms. They are like strong walls. They make big waves weaker before they hit the land. But now, coral reefs are in trouble. Today, the ocean is polluted and getting warmer because of global warming. This polluted and warmer ocean hurts the coral reefs. When the ocean gets too hot, the tiny plants that live in the corals die. This is a big problem because these plants give food and color to the corals. Without the plants, the corals turn white and may die. We can help! Using less energy and using less plastic can both make a difference. You can pick up trash at the beach and help coral reef groups with money. Even small actions matter; it is not too late to help these sick and dying animals!