English Reading Class

Fire in Colorado Firefighters have had a hard time putting out a big fire near Boulder, Colorado. It took firefighters a long time to control the fire. It was very windy. One firefighter said that the winds can blow the fire out of the area very easily. The fire destroyed 65 homes. During the worst part of the fire, people were asked to leave their homes. Police were worried that the empty homes might be looted. They checked every car going in and out of the fire area. One family returned to their home to find that only a small part of it had been hurt by the blaze. They felt very lucky to be able to repair the damage. The fire had come so close to their house that the girl had to run out with only her teddy bear. Another family lost only their outdoor toilet. Their cabin had no indoor plumbing so their outhouse was in the yard. They were thankful their home was not burned down. T-Rex Dinosaurs lived a long time ago before humans were around. Skeletons tell us what shape they were. Little is known about their daily lives. Looking at what they ate helps us to know more about them. Researchers have found teeth marks of one dinosaur on the bones of another dinosaur. A large dinosaur know as Tyrannosaurus Rex, or T-Rex, made teeth marks on the bones of a smaller dinosaur. There were many marks on the bones suggesting that the dinosaur kept chewing on the bones. The bones of a T-Rex were found 65 million years after they all died and became extinct. People did not know if it killed what it ate or only ate already killed animals. Scientists found that the bite of a T-Rex was strong enough to kill another animal. This does not prove that he tracked and killed his food himself. It does show that he could use his bite to kill other animals. Marijuana Proposition People in California voted to let marijuana be used for people who were in pain. The proposition said that people who are sick or dying can smoke marijuana. The marijuana helps get rid of the pain. Some people really wanted the proposition to pass. They were happy when it did. One person said that it shows how much people care about others who are sick and dying. Now people in California can smoke marijuana if they are sick. They need to have a doctor say that it is okay first. The federal law still says that it is illegal. The two courts not agreeing causes a problem. California is getting ready to work it out in the courts. The new laws allow almost anyone who is suffering to smoke marijuana. No written note from the doctor is needed to smoke it. The new law also says that it is legal to grow marijuana for medical use. Police are worried. They think that some people might smoke it even if they are not sick. Others are scared that the new laws will hurt the war on drugs. Police say they will continue to make people follow the drug laws, including the illegal use of marijuana. Man Answers Email A computer company has a special person who answers all questions that are sent to him. The person is a 63 year old man. He is known for always finding the right answers. On the Internet, more people are finding out about this smart man. He does not look like a computer expert. He has silver hair and is gentle. He feels that his age helps him with his job. He remembers a lot of things people ask about. He says that every day is different, so he is never bored. He tries to return the answers within 24 hours. He will answer any questions that he can. The questions he gets are very different each day. He loves his job. Other companies do not have a place for people to ask questions. If they do, it may take a long time to get an answer. Sometimes you may never get an answer at all. It is important for companies to have a person who will answer your questions. It keeps the customers happy. Happy customers will keep coming back. Abortion Pill Women living in France can have an abortion with a pill. The pill is called RU486. It makes having an abortion easy and without surgery. Women in America do not have access to this pill. A congresswoman sent a letter. She thinks that women should be able to get the pill in the United States. Another person thinks that American women should not have it. Some people worry about the new pill. They think it might teach people that abortion is no big deal. It will be harder to understand abortion if it is done with a pill. Some doctors think that this pill is safe. A group of California doctors is working to get the pill approved. Another doctor said that abortion is legal in California. He said science can make it safer for women. He wants to study the pill in California. No one knows when the pill will be available to women in the United States. It is clear that many women want the choice.