37CHAPTER 2 | RIVERS MAKE OUR LIVES BETTER
SUPPORT—Call attention to the “Cool Facts” box on page 10, and read it
aloud. Explain that even though the river is very long, most of its path is
through the mountains, not on flat land.
SUPPORT—After reading the entire section aloud, call students’ attention
to the map of rivers in Asia on page 48 of the Student Reader. Ask students
to again locate the Yangtze River on the map and trace its path on the map
with their fingers.
After reading the text, ask the following questions:
CHALLENGEWhat does the passage tell you about how a river’s water
often passes through a gorge?
» The river often moves swiftly and wildly through a gorge.
LITERAL—What are three reasons given for the building of a great dam on
the Yangtze River?
» The dam helps control flooding. It stores water for use by people and
farmers. The dam also produces electricity.
EVALUATIVEHow does a dam help stop flooding?
» The dam allows for storage of water in a reservoir. The dam operators
are able to control the flow of water through the dam, slowing it down
when there is a large amount of water in the river.
“The Indus River” Pages 11–12
Read aloud the section “The Indus River,” calling attention to the Core
Vocabulary words source, delta, and civilization as they are encountered.
Scaffold understanding as follows:
CORE VOCABULARYIn the first paragraph, call students’ attention
to the term source, and explain that the word source used in this context
specifically means the place where the water of a river starts. Remind
students that they learned a more general definition of this term in
Chapter 1 (a supply where an item such as water can be obtained), so the
word source, like many words, can have different meanings depending on
9
The Yangtze River travels through many different types of terrain, including
mountains and gorges.
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The Yangtze River is a mighty river. Like the Nile, it has supplied
people with water for thousands of years. But in history, the
Yangtze River has often caused floods.
Time and again, the raging river has
overflowed its banks. Floods have carried
away crops, animals, and even people. A
history of floods is one reason why China
built a great dam on the river.
Have you ever read about the Great Wall of
China? Well, the dam on the Yangtze River is sort of like the Great
Wall built in water. It’s as wide as twenty-two football fields. In fact,
it’s the largest dam in the world! It is called the Three Gorges Dam.
This huge dam holds back the mighty Yangtze River.
Vocabulary
flood, n. what
happens when a river
overflows its banks
dam, n. a structure
that blocks a flowing
river and allows water
to fill in behind it
Cool Fact About the Yangtze River
More than 75 percent of the Yangtze River’s path winds through
mountains in China.
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How do dams work? They slow and control
a river’s flow. The dam blocks much of a
river’s flowing water. It holds that water in
large reservoirs (/reh*zuh*vwarz/). The
reservoir behind the Three Gorges Dam is
four hundred miles long. Dam operators
let a little of this water flow out of the
reservoir slowly and steadily. As a result,
there are fewer floods.
Reservoirs also store water for drinking
and for irrigating crops. In addition, dams
use the power of flowing water to make
electricity. This source of power helps
many people and businesses in China.
The Indus River
Did you know that the Indus River is one of the longest rivers
in Asia? The river’s sources are in Tibet and India, and it flows
through Pakistan to its delta. In ancient times, people living along
the Indus River did not have computers or electricity. But they did
build a great civilization. The river helped them do this.
Some 4,500 years ago, people living near the Indus River in present-
day Pakistan built the city of Mohenjo-daro (/moe*hen*joe/dahr*oe/).
This well-planned city had many amazing buildings and spaces. One
of the most interesting is called the Great Bath. It was a pool about
half the size of a basketball court. It was made of brick. Water for the
Vocabulary
reservoir, n. a lake
created by people for
the purpose of storing
water
source, n. the starting
point or beginning of
a river’s water
delta, n. land created
by silt deposits at the
mouth of a river
civilization, n. a
society, or group
of people, with
similar religious
beliefs, customs,
language, and form
of government
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How do dams work? They slow and control
a river’s flow. The dam blocks much of a
river’s flowing water. It holds that water in
large reservoirs (/reh*zuh*vwarz/). The
reservoir behind the Three Gorges Dam is
four hundred miles long. Dam operators
let a little of this water flow out of the
reservoir slowly and steadily. As a result,
there are fewer floods.
Reservoirs also store water for drinking
and for irrigating crops. In addition, dams
use the power of flowing water to make
electricity. This source of power helps
many people and businesses in China.
The Indus River
Did you know that the Indus River is one of the longest rivers
in Asia? The river’s sources are in Tibet and India, and it flows
through Pakistan to its delta. In ancient times, people living along
the Indus River did not have computers or electricity. But they did
build a great civilization. The river helped them do this.
Some 4,500 years ago, people living near the Indus River in present-
day Pakistan built the city of Mohenjo-daro (/moe*hen*joe/dahr*oe/).
This well-planned city had many amazing buildings and spaces. One
of the most interesting is called the Great Bath. It was a pool about
half the size of a basketball court. It was made of brick. Water for the
Vocabulary
reservoir, n. a lake
created by people for
the purpose of storing
water
source, n. the starting
point or beginning of
a river’s water
delta, n. land created
by silt deposits at the
mouth of a river
civilization, n. a
society, or group
of people, with
similar religious
beliefs, customs,
language, and form
of government
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