Guided Reading
Read the story in short parts. After each part, answer a question to check your understanding.
Part 1: Edith’s Life and Marriage
| Edith lived in England. She worked in a big house. Her life was quiet and safe.
Every day was the same. Then Edith traveled to the United States and met Hans. Hans was a carpenter. He was strong and kind. Edith and Hans got married. After the wedding, they moved many times. They went to mountains and forests. |
Part 2: Life in Alaska
| One year, Edith and Hans went far north to Alaska with three other men.
They built a small cabin near the sea. The men worked outside. Edith cooked and cleaned inside. They found some gold and were happy. |
Part 3: Winter in the Cabin
| Winter came quickly. Snow fell and the wind blew hard. The sea was loud.
The group could not travel, so they stayed in the cabin. At first, life was okay. They ate, talked, and played cards. They felt safe together. |
Part 4: Michael’s Attack
| One morning, they sat down for breakfast. Two men were at the table.
One man was not there yet. Edith looked around. “Where is Michael?” she asked. Then the door opened, and Michael came in with a gun. Edith and Hans were shocked. Michael fired the gun. Two men fell. They did not move. |
Part 5: They Stop Michael
| Edith could not believe it, but she moved fast.
She grabbed Michael and held him tight. Hans ran to help her. He hit Michael. Michael fell to the floor and did not move. Edith and Hans tied Michael with rope. Hans was angry. He wanted to kill Michael. But Edith said, “No. We must not do that.” |
Part 6: The Difficult Decision
| They tried to get help from nearby locals, but they refused.
This was not their problem. Days passed and food got low. Winter was still strong. Edith was afraid, and Hans was angry and sad. At last, Michael spoke and said he wanted all the gold. The next day, Edith and Hans did what they thought was right. It was very hard. Inside, Edith and Hans knew something was broken forever. Their lives were not the same again. |