Many years ago, I moved from the city to the country. One of the first things I did was to make large vegetable garden. It was hard work to change the grassy area to a fine garden. Imagine how much work it must have been for the early pioneer families to break the native sod by hand. I planted a full garden that first year – everything from root vegetables like carrots and beets to green beans, corn, tomatoes, zucchini, acorn squash, and melons. A root vegetable means that we eat the root of the plant that grows in the soil instead of the part that grows above ground.
My best friends Fritz and Heidi, both German shepherd dogs, loved to play out in the country. They enjoyed discovering all the new sniffs of rabbit trails and deer. A garden was something new to the dogs. At gardening time Heidi preferred to go exploring but Fritz would stay close to me and help.
Once in a while, I would find a cucumber at the side of the garden with dog teeth marks in it. Who do you think tasted the cucumbers? Since Heidi didn’t stay near the garden, it must have been Fritz!
One day Fritz went into the garden. He sniffed among the leaves of the melon vines growing close to the ground. Why, he had discovered ripe melons by their smell! Knowing when melons are just right to pick is very hard for humans. But Fritz knew the exact right time to pick each melon in the garden. From then on, Fritz was my best garden helper even if he did sometimes eat the cucumbers.
Circle the correct answer.

36.Which of the following vegetables are root crops?
a. Tomatoes
b. Green beans
c. Beets
d. Corn

37.Pioneer families had a hard time gardening because
a. They didn’t know how to plant a garden
b. They had to break up native sod
c. There wasn’t enough rain
d. Their dogs didn’t know how to help

38.What kind of dogs are Fritz and Heidi?
a German shepherds
b. Labrador retrievers
c. German short-hair pointers
d. Australian shepherds

39.Did Heidi help with the gardening?
a. Yes, she stayed close by and helped.
b. Yes, she stayed close by and napped.
c No, she stayed at home instead.
d. No, she went exploring instead.

40.Where do melons grow?
a. on trees
b. below the ground as root vegetables
c..on stalks
d. on vines