A Million Metal Mosquitoes By ReadWorks

Transcription

1 By ReadWorks Roberta's grandmother lived in Hermosillo, the capital city of Sonora, in northwest Mexico. One summer, the family hopped on a plane to San Diego, rented a minivan, and drove over the border to visit her. Roberta's grandmother was old, but full of energy. She wore dresses that Roberta thought were beautiful, with flowers on them. Her house was full of plants, so that even when you were inside, it felt like being outside. She hated to cook, so they ate a lot of Chinese takeout. One day, the family was driving down the highway on their way to the beach. Palm trees by the side of the road gave very little shade. The ground was baked by the sun. It was hard and dusty. They passed through a section of road that was not in one town and not in the next. It was between two towns. There were so many buildings that it was almost like its own town but not really. There were no restaurants or post offices or sidewalks. No grocery stores or libraries. All the buildings looked the same. They were one or two stories, and all metal, with small windows and tin roofs. They were close together. Roberta saw no people, only buildings. What are those? she asked her dad. Maquiladoras, he said. Factories for making fabric. Mostly women work there. They get their materials from the United States. They make the clothes here, because companies are allowed to pay the workers less. Then they ship the clothes back to the States and sell them there. Roberta frowned. That didn't seem to make sense. Why are the workers paid less here? she asked her dad. That is a very complicated subject, he said. 1

2 In that case, Roberta replied, I want to see it for myself. Roberta's dad was a curious man, and he encouraged his daughter's curiosity. OK, he said. Let's go. Soon they were inside one of the buildings. It was very bright. There was one big room, with a high ceiling. Big fans in the corners hummed loudly. The buzz of a thousand sewing machines filled the air. All the women were hunched over their machines, concentrated on their work. Though no one talked, it was so loud Roberta couldn't hear herself think. It sounded like a million metal mosquitos. The women sat at benches, big benches that ran all the way down the length of the factory. Roberta tried to catch one woman's eye. Actually, she wasn't a woman. She wasn't much older than Roberta. Maybe she was only fifteen. The girl didn't look up, though, and Roberta gave up. When the family left the maquiladora and got to the beach, Roberta put on sunscreen and lay down on a towel. The sun felt great. But she couldn't drift off into daydreams like she wanted to. Loud humming sounds crept into her thoughts. Buzzing sounds and humming sounds. Humming and buzzing, buzzing and humming. Roberta jumped up to her feet. Without saying a word to anyone, she ran as fast as she could across the hot sand, past the people sleeping and the people eating, and past the dogs with their tongues out and the coolers full of drinks. She ran at top speed, and without slowing down she crashed into the water. She let it wash over her until she was cool. She stayed in the water until the buzzing left her head. 2

3 Questions: Name: Date: 1. What are maquiladoras? 2. Roberta asks to see a maquiladora for herself. What most likely motivates this action? 3. The text states that Roberta's dad "encouraged his daughter's curiosity." What evidence in the text shows this is true? 1

4 Questions: 4. Humming and buzzing sounds creep into Roberta's thoughts as she lies on the beach. What do these sounds most likely remind her of? 5. What is the main idea of this story? 6. Read the sentences and answer the question. "The buzz of a thousand sewing machines filled the air. All the women were hunched over their machines, concentrated on their work. Though no one talked, it was so loud Roberta couldn't hear herself think. It sounded like a million metal mosquitos." What is the author comparing the sound of a million metal mosquitoes to? 7. What word or phrase best completes the sentence? Roberta tries to catch one young woman s eye, the girl doesn t look up. 2

5 Questions: 8. What can't Roberta do as she is lying on the beach? 9. Read the last paragraph of the story. By using evidence from the text, explain why "Roberta stayed in the water until the buzzing left her head." 10. Explain how Roberta's visit to the maquiladora affected her. Use information from the text to support your answer. 3