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Meghan’s speech about voting - Reading Comprehension
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Meghan’s speech about voting Reading Comprehension
     Meghan’s speech about voting reading comprehension (sample is shown below)

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Meghan’s speech about voting By Phyllis Naegeli

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¹     Meghan ran into the kitchen. "Mom! Mom!" she cried.
 
²     Mom stopped her at the door to the dining room. "What's the matter?"
 
³     Meghan stepped back and sank down into a kitchen chair. "I have to give a speech in class next week," she said, horrified.
 
⁴     Mom giggled. "Well, here's the practice you need. You'll have to make a lot of speeches to become president someday."
 
⁵     "Very funny," said Meghan, despondent.
 
⁶     "What is the speech about?" asked Mom.
 
⁷     "Our right to vote," said Meghan.
 
⁸     "Meghan, everybody has to give oral reports. If you do a good job of planning, you'll be fine. Most of the time it's just lack of confidence that causes jitters."
 
⁹     "Then I need to gain a lot of confidence," said Meghan. "I also need some books. Can we go to the library later?"
 
¹⁰     "Sure," said Mom. "After I put dinner in the oven, we can go over to the library. Why don't you go work on your homework."
 
¹¹     "O.K.," said Meghan.
 
¹²     Later, Meghan and her mom went to the local library to get some books about voting. Meghan found three that she liked and they checked them out. After dinner that evening, Meghan began reading the books and making notes. For the next week, she worked hard on her report. The night before the big day, she practiced in front of her parents. Here's what she said:

The Right to Vote
By Meghan Edwin

When our country was new, only a few men could vote. The constitution did not say who had the right to vote. Women and African-American people had to fight to win the right to vote. Many laws were passed. The constitution was amended four times. It took many years before all citizens over eighteen could vote. Being able to vote is a special freedom. Many people feel that their vote doesn't count. So they just don't vote. But, voting is how citizens have their say in government. It is important to vote. To be able to vote, you must register. This puts you on the list in your town. It tells your town that you are old enough to vote. When you turn eighteen, you can go to your town or city office and register. Then you can vote in an election. You can join a political party when you register. There are two major parties in our country - Republican and Democrat. Before you join, you need to know what you believe about government. Then you can join the party that shares your belief. Being informed is important. Before you vote, you should find out what the candidates believe. You can read newspapers. You can watch debates. You can listen to the news. And, you can ask questions. These things will help you get the information you need. Candidates put ads on television, too. Some of these ads are about themselves. Other ads are about their opponent. This is a good way to find out information. Be careful to check on what the candidates are saying. Sometimes ads can be misleading. Some people believe their one vote won't matter. But, one vote does matter. Texas became a state by one vote. President Hayes was elected by one vote. Every vote counts! At our age, we can't vote yet. But, we can get involved. We can help in campaigns. We can learn about our government. Then when our time comes, we will be ready to vote!

 
¹³     Meghan sighed deeply. "Well, what do you think?"
 
¹⁴     "I think it is very good," said Mr. Edwin.

Paragraphs 15 to 30:
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