Everyone is Special

When I was young, everything that went wrong in my house seemed to be my fault. Once, my brothers tried to make cookies. They blended flour and ginger and made a disgusting paste. Then they tried to wash it down the drain, but it got all over the floor. Later, my brothers said that I did it and I had to wipe it up.

I worried that my parents liked them more than me. One autumn day, I was sure I would make my parents proud. I bought a model rocket. After I put it together, I invited everybody to watch it. I wanted my brothers to envy my technical knowledge. I lit the fuse, but nothing happened.

“ Looks like your fireworks don’t work. I hope you kept the receipt so you can return them,” my brother said.

“ It’s not fireworks!” I screamed. They were making fun of me again.

I didn’t know what went wrong. I hadn’t altered anything. I quickly moved the wires on the bottom, hoping that would help. Suddenly, the rocket flew up. We stood aside as it curved through the lawn and ran straight into the mailbox. Then the mailbox collapsed. The rocket was crushed.

Embarrassed, I ran inside and hid. A few minutes later, my mom asked, “ Are you OK?”

“ I just wanted them to be jealous of me for once. Now I see why you and Dad don’t love me as much as them,” I said.

“ That’s not true!” said my mom. “ See my fingers . . . each one is different. You kids are like my fingers: all are different, but I love them all the same.”

I embraced her. Now I know that my parents love me just as much as my brothers.

Part A: Mark each statement T for true or F for false. Rewrite the false statements to make them true.

1. _____ The brothers blended flour and ginger together when trying to make a disgusting paste.
   • _____________________________________________________
2. _____ The family stood aside on an autumn day to watch the girl launch her rocket.
   • _____________________________________________________
3. _____ The model rocket worked after the fuse was altered.
   • _____________________________________________________
4. _____ The mailbox is crushed because the rocket curves into it.
   • _____________________________________________________
5. _____ The girl wanted her brothers to be jealous of her.
   • _____________________________________________________
6. _____ The mother embraces the girl and says she doesn’t love any of her children more than the others.
   • _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

1. All of the following happened when the brothers tried to cook EXCEPT ______.
   • a. they wiped up the mess
   • b. they tried to put the paste down the drain
   • c. they blended ginger and flour
   • d. they got the floor dirty
2. The girl thought that putting together the model rocket proved her ______.
   • a. computer skills
   • b. technical knowledge
   • c. experience working with wires
   • d. disgust of fireworks
3. Why does her brother say that he hopes she kept the receipt?
   • a. He envies her rocket.
   • b. He wants to buy her a new rocket.
   • c. He wants her to save money.
   • d. He thinks she should return the rocket.
4. The mother tells the girl that her children are like her fingers because ______.
   • a. some are larger than others
   • b. they all are small
   • c. some are more important
   • d. they all are different but loved