A new kind of orchard in the city

Adapted from The Province Level 3 A vacant lot in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside became an orchard. Ten years ago, the city removed a gas station. That empty lot is now an orchard. Solefood runs the orchard. The design of the orchard solved two problems. 1. The city still owns the land. City land is valuable. The…

NASA sends LADEE to the moon

Shorter version of this story in the November, 2013 edition of The Westcoast Reader Adapted from The Province Level 1 NASA has a new spacecraft. It is the size of a small car. There are no people on the spacecraft. It is a robot. The spacecraft is called LADEE. LADEE means Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer.   Read the PDF…

Snow geese

Adapted from The Province Level 3 Snow geese migrate over the coastal area in Delta, BC. They rest in the fields around Delta. Snow geese fly here from Wrangel Island. Wrangel Island is north of Siberia. They fly about 5,000 km each direction. They arrive at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta between the middle of…

Dolphins remember sounds for a long time

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 Imagine an old friend calling you on the phone after 20 years. You have not heard this person’s voice in all that time. Could you recognize him or her just by the sound of their voice? A dolphin could. Every dolphin has a name. The name is a special…

In praise of Alice Munro

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Alice Munro is a writer. She won the 2013 Nobel Prize for Literature. Canadians are very proud of her. She is the first Canadian to win the prize. Read the PDF and do the exercise Alice Munro Wins Nobel Prize Visit the links Meet Alice Munro on Facebook. Watch the…

Thousands of crows gather in Burnaby

Adapted from The Province Level 2 In Burnaby, thousands of crows gather. Watchers say that 3,000 to 5,000 crows gather here every night. They stay for the whole night from sundown to sunrise. You can see them at Still Creek at the corner of Willlingdon Avenue and Highway 1. They gather here every evening during the…

A special day

Adapted from a story printed in the December, 2013 edition of The Westcoast Reader I’m Angela. I’m originally from China Wenzhou, Zhejiang. Wenzhou is a coastal city, it means “song and dance of the rural.” I’m a professional dancer and I used to dance in a troupe in Wenzhou. I was also a dance teacher in an…

Haida Gwaii wins 7-wonders of BC vote

Adapted from The Province Level 2 Readers of The Province newspaper named the Seven Wonders of BC. The Haida Gwaii won. Andrew Merilees is mayor of the Village of Masset. He says, “It’s an amazing place.” Read the PDF. Try the Exercise. Haida Gwaii wins 7-wonders Visit the WCR links: Learn more about the Haida…

Pilot crash-lands a glider

Adapted from The Province Level 1 A young cadet is lucky to be alive. He crash-landed his plane on the roof of an apartment building. Read the PDF. Try the exercise. Pilot crash-lands a glider Watch the videos: Flying in a glider 1 Flying in a glider 2 Learning to fly a glider

Safety on the Internet

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 How do you stay safe on the Internet? How do you keep your children safe on the Internet? Telus started a program for parents, kids and teachers to help keep us safe on the Internet. Read the PDF. Try the Exercise Safety on the Internet Visit the links: WCR…

Golf teaches about life

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 Kids learn best when they are having fun. Learning to play golf can be fun. Kids learn more than golf skills at First Tee. Kids learn the basic skills to play golf. At the same time they learn important values. Read the PDF. Try the Exercise. GolfTeaches Visit the…

Are you using your cell phone at work?

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Many young people less than 30 years old are very attached to their cell phones and tablets. In their personal lives, they use them all day, everywhere. They need to learn how to use these devices in their workplace. Communication at work is different. “What we need are social…

Olesia dances in her wheelchair

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 1 Olesia has cerebral palsy. She is 35 years old. Olesia has difficulty speaking. People thought she was not very capable. They were wrong. Olesia dances in her wheelchair. Read the PDF. Try the Exercise. WheelchairDancing Visit the links: A dancer invented a new wheelchair just for dancing. There are wheelchair dance…

Survivor stories

Survivors of Indian Residential Schools tell their stories. Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Alvin Dixon Alvin Dixon was 10 years old. He was taken from his home in Bella Bella. After that, he lived at a residential school for 8 years. Visit the links: Residential School Survivor Margaret Commodore speaks. Click here to watch the video.

Thousands of people walked to honour survivors

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 It was raining. Everyone held umbrellas. Seventy thousand people walked to honour First Nations people. The walk ended a week of events. The events celebrated Aboriginal heritage. Read the PDF. Try the Exercise. Truth & Reconciliation Walk Visit the links: Dr. Bernice King talked to the large group…

Truth and Reconciliation

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 What were residential schools? Aboriginal children were taken away from their homes. They were forced to live at schools away from their families. The schools were called Indian Residential Schools. Read the PDF. Try the Exercise. Truth & Reconciliation-Level3PDF

Helpers are happier

Adapted from The Province Level 3 Are happy people healthier? Are all happy people the same?

Don’t wash your chicken! Just unwrap, cut and cook

Adapted from The Province Level 3 In North America we eat a lot of chicken. Each North American eats about 80 pounds of chicken a year. Eating and handling chicken can cause you to get sick.  You must cook it well and handle it carefully. Read the PDF. Try the Exercise. Don’t wash your chicken!…

Fall is the time to eat apples

Level 1 Apples are good for you to eat. Apples taste good. Eat apples raw. Eat apples cooked. Go to the exercise. Learn how to bake an apple. Read the PDF.  Try the Exercise Fall is the time to eat apples-PDF Exercise: Make a baked apple Things you will need: One apple per person Raisins…

Thousands of Canadians live to be 100 years old

Level 3 Almost 6000 Canadians are 100 years old. Most of them are women. Three people tell us their secrets. Shu-Wing Mak volunteers in Chinatown. He says his active life keeps him healthy. He visits seniors at a retirement home regularly. He listens to Chinese opera and writes for the newspaper. He received the Queen…

The perfect picnic

Level 2 A picnic is a simple way to eat outdoors. You can picnic in a park. You can picnic in your own backyard. Spread a blanket on the ground. Lay your food out.  Eat your lunch. Have fun. Read the PDF.  Try the Exercise. The perfect picnic-PDF Visit the links: VanDusen Gardens 5 Perfect…

Young eagle rescued

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 1 A young eagle was hurt. She was caught on a tree branch. The cottonwood tree was 25-metres tall. Gordon Sasa climbed the tree. He put the eagle in a net. Read the PDF. Young eagle rescued-PDF

Rowing the Northwest Passage

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Four men are rowing a boat from Inuvik, Northwest Territories to Pond Inlet, Nunavut.  The boat is 7.6 meters long.  They left Inuvik in early July.  They hope to arrive in Pond Inlet in early fall. This route is called the Northwest Passage. It is a very dangerous…

Stanley Park is 125 years old

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 Stanley Park opened on Sept 27, 1888.  It was a big forest. People lived in the park area. Most moved away by 1931. One person lived in the park until he died in 1958. His house was torn down. Read the PDF.  Try the Exercise. Stanley park is…

New homes for women in the downtown eastside

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 This apartment is made from old shipping containers. The containers are stacked and finished inside. They are painted bright colours. Visit the links: 11 uses for shipping containers 15 awesome ways to reuse shipping containers Each apartment has a kitchen, bathroom and living room. Photo: Courtesy of Atira…

Teens and screens

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 January 2011 Teenage Internet addiction* is on the rise in B.C. Many teenagers now spend 7 to 14 hours a day on the Internet. Parents and teachers worry these teenagers might be addicted to the Internet. * (say: ah-dik-shun) Read the PDF.  Try the Exercise. Teens and screens-PDF…

Baby sign language

Level 2 April 2011 Special thanks to Sheri Kauhausen of Intoyoga.ca and the mothers at Kerrisdale Community Centre Sheri Kauhausen teaches sign language to parents and to babies who hear. She uses American Sign Language in her classes. Sheri says babies can communicate before they can speak. Read the PDF. Baby sign language-PDF Babies (8–12…

Etiquette

Level 2 January 2011 What is etiquette? Etiquette* is a set of rules telling people how to behave. Different cultures have different rules. For example, there are rules about eating, using cell phones and greeting people. *(say: eh-ti-kit) Read the PDF. Etiquette-PDF Some rules in Canada are: Illustrations by: Nola Johnston

Volunteers help people

Level 1 April 2010 Many people volunteer in Canada. Volunteers do not get paid to work. Volunteers help people in many ways. For example: Some volunteers help newcomers with their English. Other volunteers help children learn a new sport. Volunteers sometimes work in a store such as a thrift shop. Read the PDF.  Try the…

Surprise!

Level 2 November 2011 Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Rachel Suttle did not know she was expecting a baby (was pregnant). The strange story began in December, 2010. Rachel became pregnant, but six weeks later, she lost the baby. Read the PDF. Surprise-PDF In January, Rachel visited her family doctor. He told her she was…

Roundabout rules

Level 2 October 2010 Adpated from The Vancouver Sun by Nila Gopaul Approach Slow down. Yield Yield to cars coming from the LEFT. Yield to pedestrians (walkers). Read the PDF. Roundabout rules-PDF Enter When it is safe, enter to your RIGHT. Exit Signal RIGHT when you plan to exit. Special rules If you miss your…

Shipwrecked in BC

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun and Victoria Times Colonist by Nila Gopaul Level 2 September 2011 For six days in early June, Elaine Campbell was alone on a rocky beach in Haida Gwaii, B.C. Earlier, Elaine and her husband, Fred, were exploring the island. They were in a small boat. Suddenly, a large wave tipped…

The story of chocolate

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 February 2011 Chocolate comes from the beans of a cacao* fruit tree. The cacao bean is the seed of the fruit. *(say: ka-kow) Cacao trees can grow 15 metres high. The trees grow in tropical rain forests. Read the PDF. The story of chocolate-PDF Visit the links:  Beanpod…

Hypothermia

Adapted from Healthlink BC by Nila Gopaul Level 2 May/June 2012 Normal body temperature in adults is 34.4 °C to 37.8 °C. People can get hypothermia when the inside of the body drops below 35 °C. If not treated, hypothermia can lead to death. Read the PDF.  Try the exercise. Hypothermia-PDF Here are some ways…

Viola Desmond, a Canadian hero

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Nila Gopaul Level 3 February 2012 Viola Desmond was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In the 1940s, Viola was successful. She owned a beauty parlour and a beauty college. Many people liked and respected her. Read the PDF. Viola Desmond, a Canadian hero-PDF Car breaks down One November…

Made in Canada

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 1 October 2011 Canadians like to make new things. A Canadian made the electric oven in 1950. Cooks were very happy. A Canadian company made a robot arm for a spaceship. They call it “Canadarm”. A Canadian company also made a new phone. They call it the BlackBerry. In…

Be-leaf it!

Adapted from The Province Level 1 January 2011 Eve Steel has the world’s biggest maple leaf. This leaf is 44 centimetres (cm) wide and 34 cm long. Eve’s mother says, “With the stem, it’s 59 cm. It’s just a huge leaf.” Eve found the leaf near her Vancouver home. Eve says, “It was really windy,…

Sitting is a pain

Level 2 Adapted from The Edmonton Journal October 2011 Ginette Biro is a personal trainer. She teaches people how to exercise. Biro also trains students to stretch. Read the PDF. Sitting is a pain-PDF Sitting for a long time can be hard on the body, especially the back. Biro says it is very important to…

Walked the world

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 1 December 2011 Jean Beliveau was not a happy man. He needed a change. On August 18, 2000, Jean tied his shoes and said good-bye. It was his 45th birthday. Jean decided to walk around the world for peace. And he walked, for 11 years. He travelled 75,000 kilometres…

Water safety

Water safety Adapted by Nila Gopaul Level 3 June 2010 Each year in BC, about 43 people drown. You drown if your lungs fill with water and you cannot breathe. Where do people drown?   In swimming pools, in natural waters such as rivers, lakes and oceans, and in bathtubs. Always have an adult watch babies…

Greetings

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 January 2011 Sarah Meli of Malta, Ziaul Hasan of India, and Zelius Kleefstra of South Africa came to Vancouver to study. All three UBC (University of British Columbia) students spoke about their experiences in Canada. Read the PDF.  Try the Exercise. Greetings-PDF Hugging Sarah says hugging is a…

66 years in love

Adapted from The Province by Nila Gopaul Level 1 February 2012 Zoe and Bob Longshaw are in love. The two married on May 18, 1946. Bob is 87 years old.  He was a mechanic. Zoe is 86 years old.  She was a hairdresser. Together, they raised five sons. Bob and Zoe like to go out. They…

Hannah writes about Jonah

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 1 January 2012 Hannah Christensen is 12 years old. She wrote a book called Sock Wars to remember her brother. Jonah died three years ago. He was six years old. Sock Wars is a fun story about a girl and her brother. The girl washes clothes. Then she folds…

This summer, enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables!

  Check the vocabulary: produce = in this text, it means “fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains” to spoil = to go bad pricey = expensive discount = sale, reduced price Tips for buying and keeping produce fresh: Pick your own Some farms sell cheaper produce, if you go and pick it yourself. There are…

A family business

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 January 2012 William and his wife, Jenny, started their beef jerky business 25 years ago. They bought the secret recipe for dried meat in Singapore for $35,000. BKH Jerky was a booming business for many years. But bad luck hit. A fire destroyed their business. BKH Jerky had…

Race with a thief

Adapted from The Province by Nila Gopaul Level 1, December 2010 Otto Haas was a famous runner in Germany. He ran 100 metres in 12.5 seconds. And over 70 years later, he raced again. Otto, his wife Josefine, and her sister, Trudy, live in Kelowna. They visited Vancouver in 2009. In a parking lot, a young…

Start a container garden

Level one April 2011 Save money Grow your own vegetables. It is a great way to save money. Start your garden You don’t need a big space. You can grow many things in a pot or a container. Plant vegetables You can plant some herbs, lettuce, tomatoes, radishes and peas this month. Put in a…

The Great Blue Heron

Adapted from the B.C. Ministry of Environment and The Province Illustrations by Nola Johnston Level 2 May 2011 In BC, people can see Great Blue Herons all year. Herons live on the coast. They also live in the southern part of B.C. The heron is a large bird: It is taller than many 8-year-old children….

Women in Trades

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 Members of B.C.’s building trades have worked on most big projects in B.C. The skills of these people have made many dams and pipelines. These projects give us power and heat our homes. The bridges and highways take us to work, and home again. We travel on them…

New lungs, new life

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Colleen Kohse, 53, lives in Vancouver. When she was in her 20s she received new lungs. At that time, Kohse was very ill. She had cystic fibrosis (CF). CF is a disease. CF affects the lungs. People with CF have a hard time breathing. They also get infections…