100. Finding a Mermaid

Clark took his six-year-old son sailing. It was James' first time on the ocean. They were having a great time. They were finding a bunch of sea creatures. James was amazed.

First, Clark spotted five dolphins. Then, James spotted a big whale. They even touched a sea lion. "Look!" called out Clark. He pointed to something swimming in the distance. "Do you know what that is?" he asked his son. "A mermaid!" shouted James, "A real mermaid!" Clark fell to ground laughing. James was confused. He did not understand what was so funny. "That's not a mermaid!" explained Clark. "That's called a manatee. Their nickname is 'sea-cows'."

✅ Vocabulary Words

                                                           

No.	Word	Definition	Example Sentence
01	sailing	traveling in a boat or ship powered by wind or a motor	Clark took his six-year-old son sailing.
02	first time	the initial instance or occasion	It was James' first time on the ocean.
03	sea creatures	animals that live in the sea or ocean	They were finding a bunch of sea creatures.
04	amazed	greatly surprised; astonished	James was amazed.
05	spotted	saw or noticed (someone or something) suddenly	First, Clark spotted five dolphins.
06	dolphins	small, toothed whales with a prominent, curved dorsal fin	Clark spotted five dolphins.
07	whale	a very large marine mammal with a streamlined body	Then, James spotted a big whale.
08	sea lion	a large type of seal with external ears and long flippers	They even touched a sea lion.
09	pointed to	indicated something using a finger, stick, or other object	He pointed to something swimming in the distance.
10	in the distance	far away from the current location	He pointed to something swimming in the distance.
11	mermaid	a mythical sea creature with the head and upper body of a woman and the tail of a fish	"A mermaid!" shouted James.
12	shouted	uttered a loud cry, typically of fear, excitement, or anger	"A real mermaid!" shouted James.
13	fell to ground	dropped or collapsed onto the floor or earth	Clark fell to ground laughing.
14	confused	unable to understand something; bewildered	James was confused.
15	funny	causing laughter or amusement	He did not understand what was so funny.
16	explained	made an idea or situation clear to someone by describing it in more detail	"That's not a mermaid!" explained Clark.
17	manatee	a large, herbivorous marine mammal sometimes called a sea cow	"That's called a manatee."
18	nickname	a familiar or humorous name given to a person or thing instead of or as well as the real name	"Their nickname is 'sea-cows'."
19	sea-cows	a common name for manatees or dugongs	"Their nickname is 'sea-cows'."
20	bunch of	a large number of (informal)	They were finding a bunch of sea creatures.

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❓ Comprehension Questions & Answers

                                             

No.	Question	Answer
01	What were Clark and his six-year-old son, James, doing?	They were **sailing** (it was James's first time on the ocean).
02	How did James feel about finding sea creatures?	He was **amazed**.
03	What two sea creatures did Clark and James spot?	**Dolphins** (Clark spotted five) and a **big whale** (James spotted one).
04	What did they do with a sea lion?	They **touched** one.
05	What did Clark point to in the distance?	**Something swimming** (in the distance).
06	What did James shout he saw?	A **mermaid** ("A real mermaid!").
07	How did Clark react to James's shout?	He **fell to the ground laughing**.
08	What was James's reaction to Clark's laughter?	He was **confused** (he didn't understand what was funny).
09	What was the creature actually called?	A **manatee**.
10	What is the nickname for this creature?	**"Sea-cows"**.
11	What does the term "first time on the ocean" mean for James?	It was the **initial instance** he had been out on the sea.
12	What action did James perform when he identified the creature?	He **shouted**.
13	What evidence shows they were having a good time?	They were **finding a bunch of sea creatures** and James was **amazed**.
14	Who spotted the whale?	**James** spotted the whale.
15	Why do you think manatees are nicknamed "sea-cows"?	Because they are **large, slow-moving, and herbivorous** (plant-eating), like cows.