• Practice for every day of the school year • Help students prepare for standardized testing

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© Evan-Moor Corp. • EMC 3453 • Daily Reading Comprehension 
137
WEEK 22
DAY 1
READ THE PASSAGE
Notice how the elephant’s keeper made a difference.
Big Artists
Elephants are very smart. They are social, too, and like to live in small groups. 
An Asian elephant named Ruby came to a zoo in Arizona. She was only a baby. 
Ruby had no other elephants to keep her company. Because she was bored, she 
got into trouble. She also liked to do something many elephants like to do. Ruby 
spent time holding a stick in her trunk and scribbling in the sand. 
Ruby’s keeper, Tawny, tried to keep Ruby busy. When Ruby was about ten 
years old, Tawny had an idea. What if she could teach Ruby to paint? Tawny 
praised Ruby and gave her treats when Ruby scribbled. Soon Tawny taught Ruby 
to hold a paintbrush in her trunk. Ruby seemed to enjoy it. Not long after that, 
Ruby began dipping the brush into buckets of colors. She painted s
q
uiggles and 
lines on thick paper.
Ruby soon became famous. People from all over the world came to see 
the painting elephant. Many people even bought Ruby’s paintings!
SKILL PRACTICE
Read the question. Fill in the bubble next to the correct answer.
 1. Who are the main characters?
A 
a zookeeper named Ruby and
an elephant named Tawny
B 
an elephant named Ruby and 
a famous painter
C 
a baby elephant and an old elephant
D 
a zookeeper named Tawny and
an elephant named Ruby
 2. What is the setting of the passage?
A 
a paint store in Arizona
B 
a zoo in Asia
C 
a zookeeper’s house
D 
a zoo in Arizona
 3. What is unusual about Ruby?
A 
She likes to be with other elephants.
B 
She is a smart elephant.
C 
She paints pictures.
D 
She scribbles in the sand.