1. David stood in front of the mirror, staring at something strange.

2. A dark figure appeared behind him, though no one else was in the room.

3. He was strangely drawn to the mirror, visiting it more often each day.

4. One night, he heard a faint whisper calling his name.

5. The reflection in the glass moved differently than David did.

6. At the end, David seemed to disappear into the mirror itself.

1. The old man lived in a small village in the mountains.

2. The old man always said, “Bad luck or good luck, who knows?”

3. His son came back from the city.

4. Would you say… (sentence incomplete, likely part of a discussion prompt)

5. The horse ran away.

6. The villagers thought this was very bad luck.

7. The son found two horses.

8. He fell from the wild horse and broke his leg.

9. Soldiers came to the village looking for young men.

10. The old farmer’s son did not go to war.

11. The villagers finally understood the old farmer’s wise words.

David lived a seemingly ordinary life. He worked a nine-to-five job.

What changes his life?

He decided to explore an obscure antique shop that had recently opened nearby.

Why is he scared of the antique mirror?

He saw not just his own image but a dark figure.

What happened to the previous owners?

He researched the mirror’s history, uncovering tales of its previous owners—each had met tragic ends, their lives consumed by madness and despair.

What happens at the end?

David died. He raced to the door, but the room warped around him, the walls closing in.

What is a portal, in your opinion?

In my opinion, the portal is like an internet portal, and the mirror represents our preoccupation with other people’s lives. We are constantly comparing, shopping, and living in the virtual world.

Many people and critics loved the painting, even though it was a mistake. The painting was a dirty canvas which the cleaner was taking out to the bins Later, the real painting arrived, and Geoffrey told the Curator and the cleaner about the error.

In the end, they found out that the Cleaner, Jennifer, was claiming to be an artist, she wanted to profit from the situation too

Answers will vary.

2. What lesson did Matt learn?

Matt learned that it is fine to tell his sister that he does not want to go on the ride. It is fine for him to listen to his own feelings to make sure he stays safe.

3. What is the difference between being aggressive and being assertive?

The difference is aggressive is a forceful way to achieve one’s goal, which usually ends up in a fight or argument. Assertive means to be confident in oneself. When you want people to listen to your point of view, it is good to be assertive.

4. Where in the short story did you find the answer?

From the mom’s response: “There’s a difference between being aggressive and being assertive. You’re not saying ‘no’ to be mean to Laura or to hurt her feelings, you’re just listening to your own feelings to make sure you stay safe. It’s fine to tell her no for this,” Mom answered.

5. What does “wandered” mean in the 2nd paragraph? How do you know?

Wander means moving around without having any specific purpose or direction. The family moved around getting snacks and going on various rides. They did not go to a specific place to snack or on a specific ride.

6. How might Matt have felt if he agreed to go on the ride with Laura? Why?

Answers will vary. Acceptable answers are: He would have felt scared, nervous, uncomfortable or not well.

They are in an amusement park, the visit is a full on adventure, they like popcorn and all the rides.

However, Mat does not like upside down rides and his mum encourages him to be truthful with his sister and to tell her how it makes him feel. Mum encourages him to be assertive but not aggressive. After that all goes well and smooth, Laura goes on the ride by herself and has a possibility to express in the future her dislike for arm wrestling that her brother likes but she does not

Symptoms:

Depression, high fever, loss of appetite, less milk, drooling, blisters on mouth, feet, and teats, trouble standing, and possible death.

Spread:

Through contact with infected animals, contaminated tools, clothes, footwear, buildings, and undercooked animal products. Virus is in all body fluids.

Prevention:

Isolate sick animals, stop movement, follow vet and government rules.

Note:

Can cause sudden death in pigs; signs in goats and sheep are often mild.