Reading Comprenhension

🐉 The Guardian Dragon of Mount Shasta

A Middle-Grade Fantasy Novel

Chapter 1: The Girl Who Wandered Too Far

Lila Martinez had always liked exploring more than following rules.

That was how she ended up alone on a narrow trail near Mount Shasta while her parents unpacked sandwiches near the parking lot.

The mountain air smelled like pine and snow. Birds chirped overhead.

Then she saw it.

A flicker of blue light deep inside a rocky cave.

At first, she thought it was a reflection. But the glow pulsed — slow and steady, like a heartbeat.

She stepped inside.

The cave was cool and quiet. In the center sat a smooth, silver-swirled egg glowing bright blue.

It hummed.

Lila reached out.

The moment her fingers touched it—

CRACK.

A thin line split across the shell.

CRACK!

A tiny silver snout pushed through.

Two bright icy-blue eyes blinked at her.

The creature sneezed.

Snowflakes burst into the air.

Lila stumbled back.

“You’re… you’re a dragon.”

The dragon chirped happily.

And just like that, magic returned to the world.

Chapter 2: Frost in a Backpack

Lila wrapped the baby dragon in her sweatshirt and carried him back to her parents.

She told them she had found “a weird bird.”

They did not look closely.

The drive home was dangerous.

Frost sneezed snow onto the dashboard.

He tried to chew the seatbelt.

He froze half of Lila’s backpack zipper.

“Please,” she whispered. “We have to get home first.”

When they reached their house, she rushed to her room and locked the door.

Frost fluttered out of the backpack, knocking over a lamp.

Instead of breaking, the lamp froze solid.

“This is not normal,” Lila said.

Frost wagged his tiny tail.

That night, she learned two things:

Frost loved shiny objects.
Frost snored like a tiny snowstorm.

But just after midnight, the temperature dropped sharply.

And someone appeared at the foot of her bed.

Chapter 3: The Woman of Light

The woman shimmered like moonlight.

Her silver hair floated as if underwater.

“I am Seraphine,” she said calmly. “Protector of the Hidden Realms.”

Lila pulled her blanket up. “Are you a ghost?”

Seraphine almost smiled. “No. I am older than ghosts.”

She explained that Frost was not an ordinary dragon.

“He is a Guardian Dragon. One of the last.”

“Last?” Lila’s stomach twisted.

“Hunters nearly erased them.”

Frost growled softly.

“And now,” Seraphine continued, “the one who hunts them has felt his awakening.”

Lila swallowed. “Who?”

Seraphine’s eyes darkened.

“The Shadow Hunter.”

Chapter 4: The New Substitute

On Monday morning, Lila almost believed it had been a dream.

Until Frost sneezed ice cubes into her cereal.

She carefully hid him inside her hoodie and went to school.

That’s when she saw the new substitute teacher.

“Class,” said the principal, “this is Mr. Blackwood.”

He was tall. Pale. Calm.

Too calm.

His dark gloves never came off.

When his eyes scanned the classroom, they paused on Lila.

Frost shifted under her hoodie.

Mr. Blackwood smiled slightly.

And Lila knew.

He could sense Frost.

Chapter 5: The First Chase

That afternoon, footsteps followed Lila home.

Slow. Steady.

She turned the corner.

Mr. Blackwood stood there.

“You have something that belongs to me,” he said.

Frost hissed.

Black smoke swirled around Mr. Blackwood’s hands.

Lila ran.

The air grew colder as Frost leapt out and blasted a swirl of ice behind them, slowing the shadows chasing her.

But Mr. Blackwood was fast.

Too fast.

Just as he reached for Frost—

A bright flash of silver light exploded between them.

Seraphine appeared.

“Not today,” she said sharply.

The hunter vanished into smoke.

But his voice echoed.

“I will return.”

Chapter 6: Secrets Beneath the Mountain

Seraphine led Lila back to the cave at Mount Shasta.

But it was no longer plain rock.

Crystals lined the walls.

Ancient glowing symbols covered the ceiling.

“This is the Heart of Balance,” Seraphine explained.

“In the center of the mountain lies the source of magic in this region.”

Frost floated upward, circling the glowing crystal at the cave’s center.

“He must bond with it,” Seraphine said. “And so must you.”

“Me?” Lila squeaked.

“You touched the egg. The magic chose you.”

The symbols flared brightly.

Lila stepped forward.

And everything went white.

Chapter 7: The Vision

Lila saw dragons soaring across the sky.

Huge ones. Golden ones. Emerald ones.

Then she saw darkness swallowing them.

The Shadow Hunter — younger, angrier — capturing dragons in iron cages.

Taking their magic.

Growing stronger.

Then she saw Frost.

Alone.

Hidden.

Waiting.

For her.

When Lila opened her eyes, she felt different.

Stronger.

The crystal pulsed in rhythm with her heartbeat.

“You are now a Guardian Keeper,” Seraphine said.

“But the hunter knows.”

Chapter 8: The Hunter Strikes Back

That night, the sky turned gray over town.

Power flickered.

Wind howled.

Mr. Blackwood stood at the edge of the forest, chanting in an ancient language.

Shadows rose like smoke towers.

He wasn’t just hunting Frost.

He was trying to break the Heart of Balance.

Lila felt it weakening.

“We have to stop him!” she said.

Frost roared — louder than ever before.

He was growing.

Chapter 9: The Battle of Ice and Shadow

The forest exploded with light and darkness.

Shadows lunged.

Frost blasted freezing wind.

Trees cracked under the force.

Lila stepped into the glowing symbols forming beneath her feet.

Energy surged through her.

She raised her hands.

Light burst outward.

Mr. Blackwood staggered.

“You are just a child!” he shouted.

“Maybe,” Lila said.

“But I’m not alone.”

Frost soared upward, now twice his size, glowing silver and blue.

Together, they unleashed a wave of ice and light that shattered the shadows.

The hunter screamed—

—and vanished.

Chapter 10: A Guardian’s Beginning

The storm cleared.

Stars shone over Mount Shasta.

Frost shrank back to his small, sneezy self.

Seraphine approached.

“You have protected the balance,” she said.

“For now.”

“For now?” Lila asked.

“The world is vast. Magic sleeps in many places.”

Frost nudged Lila’s shoulder.

She looked at the mountain.

She looked at the sky.

She smiled.

“Then we’d better be ready.”

Far away, deep in a distant city, a pair of silver eyes opened in the darkness.

The hunt was not over.

🌟 The End… or Book Two?

MATERIALS

Reading Comprehension: Materials and Their Uses

Materials are all around us and are an important part of our everyday lives. Everything we use, from the clothes we wear to the buildings we enter, is made from one or more materials. Each material has special properties that make it suitable for certain uses. Understanding materials helps us choose the right one for the right job.

Some materials come from nature and are called natural materials. Wood comes from trees and has been used for thousands of years. It is strong, durable, and easy to cut and shape. Because of these properties, wood is used to make furniture, doors, paper, and houses. Another natural material is stone, which is very hard and heavy. Stone is often used in buildings, walls, and roads because it can last a very long time.

Other natural materials come from plants and animals. Cotton comes from cotton plants and is soft, breathable, and comfortable. This is why it is commonly used to make clothes, bed sheets, and towels. Wool comes from sheep and other animals. It is warm and helps keep heat inside, making it useful for sweaters, blankets, and coats.

Some materials are man-made, meaning they are created by people using natural resources. Plastic is one of the most common man-made materials. It is lightweight, flexible, and waterproof. Plastic is used to make bottles, food containers, toys, and bags. However, plastic can take a long time to break down in nature, so recycling it is very important.

Metal is another important material. Metals such as iron, steel, and aluminum are very strong and can hold heavy weight. They are used to make tools, machines, cars, bridges, and buildings. Some metals can conduct electricity, which makes them useful for wires and electronic devices.

Glass is made by heating sand at very high temperatures. It is smooth and usually transparent, which allows light to pass through. Glass is used for windows, jars, light bulbs, and phone screens. Although glass is strong, it can break easily, so it must be handled with care.

Choosing the right material for an object is very important. A raincoat needs to be waterproof, so plastic or special fabric is used. A frying pan must handle high heat, so metal is the best choice. When we understand the properties of materials, we can use them wisely and help protect the environment by reducing waste and recycling whenever possible.

Activities

Activity 1: Multiple Choice

Choose the best answer.

Why is wood often used to make furniture?
a) It is transparent
b) It is strong and easy to shape
c) It is waterproof
d) It conducts electricity
Which of the following is a natural material from animals?
a) Plastic
b) Glass
c) Wool
d) Metal
Why is plastic widely used?
a) It is heavy and expensive
b) It breaks easily
c) It is lightweight and flexible
d) It conducts heat well
What makes metal useful for bridges and buildings?
a) It is soft
b) It is very strong
c) It is transparent
d) It is waterproof

Activity 2: True or False

Write T for true or F for false.

Glass is made from sand.
Cotton is used mainly for building houses.
Plastic takes a long time to break down in nature.
Wool is used to keep people cool.

Activity 3: Short Answer

Answer in complete sentences.

Name two natural materials and say where they come from.
What is one reason recycling plastic is important?
Why is metal used for cooking pans?

Activity 4: Vocabulary

Match the word to its meaning.

Word	Meaning
1. Durable	a. Able to let light pass through
2. Transparent	b. Long-lasting and strong
3. Flexible	c. Can bend without breaking
4. Conduct	d. Allow heat or electricity to pass