Illustration of Benny from "Dirty Canals" holding his boogie board.

Reading Comprehension: "Dirty Canals" by Andrew Frinkle

Let's go through the story and then answer any potential questions or analyze the key elements. Since you've uploaded an image with a task, I'll assume the goal is to understand the reading passage thoroughly, possibly for comprehension questions.

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Summary of the Story:

The story follows Benny, a boy who loves playing in water, especially during heavy rain. After a relentless downpour turns his neighborhood into a muddy, flooded mess, Benny uses his boogie board to surf through puddles and drainage ditches around his yard.

He finds joy in the messy, wet environment—jumping into puddles, hydroplaning across water, and splashing. His adventure leads him to the city’s canals and drainage ditches, which are now overflowing with rainwater mixed with waste from streets and yards (like fertilizers, animal waste, trash, and yard clippings).

Despite knowing it’s risky, Benny decides to ride across the rushing canal on his boogie board. He nearly gets swept away but manages to make it across. However, he ends up fully submerged in dirty, polluted water, which causes him to ingest some of it.

Later, he develops a skin rash and illness, leading him to realize that playing in dirty water is dangerous. From then on, he avoids such activities.

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Key Themes & Lessons:

1. Curiosity and Risk-Taking: Benny is adventurous and enjoys thrills, but his actions lead to negative consequences.
2. Consequences of Poor Choices: The story teaches that even fun activities can have serious health risks if not approached safely.
3. Environmental Awareness: The story highlights how urban runoff carries pollution into water systems, making them unsafe for recreation.
4. Learning from Experience: Benny learns a hard lesson about hygiene and safety after getting sick.

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Possible Reading Comprehension Questions (and Answers):

#### 1. What caused the canals and drainage ditches to be full of water?
- Answer: Continuous rainfall caused the streets and yards to flood. Rainwater that didn’t evaporate or soak into the ground flowed into the city’s canals and drainage ditches, filling them up.

#### 2. Why did Benny enjoy playing in the water?
- Answer: Benny liked being messy and loved the thrill of running and surfing in water. He found it fun to splash, skim across puddles, and ride waves on his boogie board.

#### 3. What happened when Benny rode across the canal?
- Answer: He skated across the rushing water on his boogie board. At one point, he was almost carried away by the current but managed to get across. He ended up fully submerged in dirty water, which made him feel sick.

#### 4. What did Benny learn after getting sick?
- Answer: He learned that playing in dirty water is dangerous and can cause illness. As a result, he decided to avoid playing in filthy water and canals in the future.

#### 5. What does “skuzz” mean in this context?
- Answer: “Skuzz” means something very dirty or disgusting. In the story, it refers to the foul mixture of waste water, trash, and other pollutants in the canal.

#### 6. What evidence shows that the water was polluted?
- Answer: The water contained fertilizers, animal waste, yard clippings, and trash from roads. Benny also mentions a foul taste in his mouth and later developed a rash and illness.

#### 7. How did Benny’s attitude change at the end of the story?
- Answer: Initially excited and reckless, Benny became cautious and avoided playing in dirty water after experiencing illness and discomfort.

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Vocabulary Practice:

| Word | Meaning |
|------|--------|
| Ceaselessly | Without stopping |
| Marshy | Wet and swamp-like |
| Hydroplaning | Moving over water as if floating |
| Rivulets | Small streams of water |
| Submerged | Covered or under water |
| Foul | Disgusting or bad-smelling |
| Regretted | Felt sorry for doing something |

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Critical Thinking Question:

> Why is it important to avoid playing in storm drains or canals after rain?

Answer: Storm drains and canals collect rainwater along with pollutants like chemicals, animal waste, and trash. This makes the water unsafe for contact because it can cause skin infections, stomach illness, or other health problems. Benny’s experience shows that even if it looks fun, dirty water can be harmful.

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Conclusion:

This story is a great example of real-life lessons through fiction. It combines action, humor, and a clear moral: don't play in dirty water. It encourages kids to think critically about their choices and the potential consequences.

If you have specific questions or need to complete a worksheet based on this passage, let me know!