A Mysterious Glow

Have you ever seen an organism that glows? Where were you?

1 It was the Taylors’ first night at the beach. Miles, Sophie, and their parents sat outside and enjoyed a big seafood dinner that included fresh fish, scallops, crab, coleslaw, and corn on the cob. The sun was a ball of fire as it slipped into the ocean and left a peach-colored glow in the sky. They played several board games, and by nine o’clock, everyone had caught their second wind.

2 “How does an evening stroll along the beach sound?” asked Mrs. Taylor, stretching as she stood up. “It’s a beautiful night, and I don’t think you kids have ever seen stars the way they look over the ocean at night. ”

3 “Sounds good to me,” said Mr. Taylor, collecting the game pieces on the coffee table and putting them back in the box.

4 Sophie used a flashlight to guide the group down the sandy path in between the cottages, and in just a few minutes the Taylors found themselves on the beach. Miles and Sophie took off their flip-flops and let the sand squish between their toes.

5 “The sand is so much cooler than it was earlier today!” exclaimed Sophie, remembering how she had danced across the beach to the water to keep from burning the soles of her feet. 6 Mrs. Taylor nodded. “The sand absorbs the sun’s heat during the day, but it cools off quickly as soon the sun goes down.

7 Miles and Sophie walked ahead of their parents, wading in the gentle waves along the shore as they tried to pick out constellations in the cloudless sky. “Miles,” said Sophie after a few minutes, “do you notice anything weird about the water? Doesn’t it seem like it’s almost glowing?” She stopped walking and kicked her bare foot in the water. There was an explosion of milkygreen light where Sophie kicked. Miles and Sophie looked at one another. “This is totally bizarre,” said Sophie.

8 She and Miles crouched at the water’s edge and ran their hands back and forth rapidly in the cool water. Swirls of light traced the pattern their hands had made.

9 Their parents had finally caught up to Miles and Sophie. “Did you find something?” inquired Mrs. Taylor, kneeling beside Sophie. Before Sophie even had time to answer, Mrs. Taylor gasped. “This is incredible,” she said swirling her hands in the water. “I’ve read about it, but I’ve never seen it myself. Ian, did you see this?” she asked Mr. Taylor.

10 He nodded, and even in the dim light Sophie and Miles could see the look of amazement on their dad’s face. “What is it, Mom?” asked Sophie. “Why is the water glowing?”

11 “It’s called bioluminescence,” said Mrs Taylor. “You’re not actually seeing the water itself glow. There’s just a high concentration of tiny organisms in it that create light. It’s similar to the type of light that fireflies produce. ”

12 “I think we were all too busy looking at the stars in the sky to see the ones in the ocean,” marveled Mr. Taylor.

Spectrum Reading Grade 6

88

1. Write one sentence from the story that indicates how the Taylors felt about discovering the bioluminescence.

2. What happened when Sophie kicked the water?

3. What explanation does Mrs. Taylor have for why the water is glowing?

4. Why do you think the Taylors didn’t notice the glowing water right away?

5. Do you think that Sophie and Miles will try to learn more about bioluminescence when they get home? Why or why not?

Read the sentences below. Write B next to the sentence if it tells about something that happened before Miles and Sophie noticed the water was glowing. Write A if it describes something that happened after.

6. _____ Mrs. Taylor swirled her hands in the water.

7. _____ Mr. Taylor collected the game pieces from the coffee table.

8. _____ Miles and Sophie picked out constellations in the night sky.

9. _____ Miles and Sophie took off their flip-flops.

10. _____ Mrs. Taylor knelt beside Sophie.

Write the idiom from paragraph 1 on the line next to its meaning.

11. felt refreshed _________________________________________________________________

A metaphor is a comparison of two things without using the word like or as. For example, Her fingers were icicles. Find the metaphor in paragraph 1, and write it on the line.

12. ______________________________________________________________________________________

Spectrum Reading Grade 6

89