HomeMy WebLinkAboutRead Aloud Book Gr. 3-Lesson 29Do you know what it takes to become an emergency room doctor? It takes a lot
of schooling and even more practice. After graduating from college, emergency
room doctors must go to medical school. Medical school can take up to four years
to complete. Then these doctors learn more about their jobs by doing on-the-job
training in hospitals. This training takes many more years. After they have been
trained, emergency room doctors are ready to work on their own.
This is a job of great signifi cance. It is an important job because many people
depend on emergency room doctors. When a person has an accident or suddenly
becomes ill, he or she may go to the nearest emergency room. There, the doctor is
responsible for quickly identifying the problem. Then the doctor must decide the best
option for taking care of the problem. This is not always an easy choice.
Although it can be a diffi cult job, there are many advantages to being an
emergency room doctor. No two days are ever the same. The people who come to
an emergency room for help have a variety of conditions. One person might have a
bad cut while another person might have a broken bone. An emergency room doctor
must be ready to solve any problem at any moment.
Of course, there are disadvantages to the job of an emergency room doctor, too.
Perhaps the most negative aspect of the job is the extreme pressure the doctors
are under. Often, an emergency room doctor has to act quickly to treat a medical
problem. An incorrect decision could have serious consequences for a patient. The
patient may feel worse instead of better. Emergency room doctors work hard to make
sure this doesn’t happen.
Another issue for an emergency room doctor is the long hours they are required to
work. Emergency rooms are open twenty-four hours a day. At least one doctor must
be in the emergency room at all times.
The work of an emergency room doctor is a benefi t to everybody. He or she might
be just the person that can help you in your time of need.
COMPREHENSION What words from this selection could you use to
describe the job of an emergency room doctor? Why is it hard to become an
emergency room doctor?
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Five kids from Ms. Stanyan’s class were facing a big problem. Their project was due
in a week, and all they had done was come up with the idea to create a community
newspaper.
“I’ll write an article about how our town began,” announced Miranda. Her loud voice had
often dominated their meetings. “It can go on the front page.”
“It’s time to end your reign as queen of the newspaper,” James told her. “I’m going to
write about the elections, and my article should go on the front page. Lucy can draw a
picture of the mayor to go with it.”
“I won’t be subjected to your decisions,” Lucy said grumpily. “You’re not the boss! I’m
putting myself in charge, and I’m going to write the front-page story.”
“I need to be in charge to spare everyone extra work,” cried Miranda. “We can’t
have three front-page stories.”
“I don’t even like the idea of a newspaper,” said Darrell. “You guys intimidated me
into accepting it. We should make a mural instead. I’m good at art, so I’ll be in charge.”
The children continued arguing. Their voices overlapped as everyone rushed to speak
and no one paused to listen. Only Tiffany remained silent.
Eventually, the arguing trailed off. Finally, Tiffany spoke up. “We’re never going to
fi nish our project unless we have good leadership,” she said.
“I suppose the person in charge should be you,” said Miranda in an unpleasant voice.
“No,” replied Tiffany. “But if more than half of us are writers, we’ll just have stories
for our project. There are other jobs we need to fi ll, too.”
Four blank faces stared at her.
Tiffany explained that newspapers need photographers, proofreaders, and designers
in addition to writers. She said a newspaper also needs an editor who assigns stories
and keeps pressuring people to get their work done on time. “So there’s a good job for
everyone,” Tiffany concluded.
Once the other kids understood that they needed someone to manage and regulate
their work, they made Tiffany the editor. She asked what kind of schoolwork everyone
enjoyed, which made it easier to assign tasks. With everyone occupying a job, talking
about the project went smoothly. By the end of the meeting, the fi ve classmates knew
that their project was fi nally off to a good start.
COMPREHENSION Which words help you understand some of the negative ways
people can act when they want to be leaders? Why do the other children decide to
place Tiffany in charge of the newspaper?
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