The Flag of Brazil

Non-fiction: Brazil Today – The Flag of Brazil
Brazil Today
The Flag of Brazil
Brazil’s flag symbolizes the government of the people. The banner that
stretches across the middle of the sphere reads: “Ordem e Progresso.” This
means “Order and Progress” in the language of Portuguese. Portugese is the
official language of Brazil.
The flag also symbolizes the lush landscape 1 of Brazil. Brazil also has
beautiful natural resources. 2 The blue sphere around the stars in the flag
resembles the bright blue sky over Brazil. Only in tropical climates is the sky so
blue. The yellow in the flag in the shape of a diamond represents gold and
diamonds. The early wealth of Brazil came from gold and diamond mining. The
green in the flag symbolizes the country’s deep forests and fertile fields. Brazil
also has profited from its sugar plantations, 3 coffee plantations, and rubbermaking businesses. These natural resources helped determine the social and
economic character of Brazil. In the colonial era, many Portuguese adventurers
came to Brazil. The Portuguese brought slaves from West Africa to work on
sugar plantations. Today, Brazil’s population is a mixture of these groups – West
Africans, Portuguese, and also Native Americans.
1
landscape: the natural features of a land’s surface
resource: something found in nature which is valuable to humans
3
plantation: an agricultural estate worked by laborers
2
1
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© 2012 ReadWorks , Inc. All rights reserved.
Questions: Brazil Today – The Flag of Brazil
Name: ____________________________
Date:______________________
1. What is the official language of Brazil?
a. Spanish
b. French
c. Japanese
d. Portuguese
2. How does the author describe the meaning of the Brazilian flag?
a.
b.
c.
d.
by explaining what its colors and shapes mean
by comparing the Brazilian flag to other flags
by saying that flags mean whatever people want them to mean
by explaining why Brazil has many different flags
3. Based on this passage, which of these statements can be concluded about
Brazil?
a. Brazil’s history has not been affected by people from other
countries.
b. Brazilians are not very proud of the landscape of their country.
c. Nobody knows for sure how Brazil’s flag was designed.
d. Natural resources are important to Brazil and its history.
4. Read the following sentence: “The blue sphere around the stars in the flag
resembles the bright blue sky over Brazil.”
The word resembles means
a.
b.
c.
d.
covers up
looks like
shines brightly
gets rid of
5. The main idea of this passage is that the Brazilian flag
a.
b.
c.
d.
was created thousands of years ago.
is more complicated than most other flags.
symbolizes the government and the landscape.
is not rectangular in shape like most flags.
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© 2012 ReadWorks , Inc. All rights reserved.
Questions: Brazil Today – The Flag of Brazil
6. How do the yellow and green in the flag symbolize the natural
resources in Brazil?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
7. Explain how the symbolism in the flag of Brazil represents both positive and
negative things in the country’s history.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the answer that best
completes the sentence.
The yellow in the flag in the shape of a diamond represents gold and
diamonds______________the early wealth of Brazil came from gold and
diamonds.
a.
b.
c.
d.
before
because
even though
so
9. Read the following sentence.
The flag of Brazil represents the country’s landscape by using symbols.
Answer the questions below based on the information provided in the sentence
you just read. One of the questions has already been answered for you.
1. What? The flag of Brazil
2. What does the the flag of Brazil do? ______________________________
3. How? ______________________________________________________
3
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© 2012 ReadWorks , Inc. All rights reserved.
Questions: Brazil Today – The Flag of Brazil
10. Vocabulary Word: resource: material, money or things needed to give help.
Use the vocabulary word in a sentence: _______________________________
_______________________________________________________________
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© 2012 ReadWorks , Inc. All rights reserved.
Answers: Brazil Today – The Flag of Brazil
Teacher Guide and Answers
Passage Reading Level: Lexile 780
Passage Text Structure: Descriptive - the writer explains, defines or illustrates a
concept or topic
Passage Summary: The author describes the flag of Brazil and explains its
symbolism.
1. What is the official language of Brazil?
a. Spanish
b. French
c. Japanese
d. Portuguese
2. How does the author describe the meaning of the Brazilian flag?
a.
b.
c.
d.
by explaining what its colors and shapes mean
by comparing the Brazilian flag to other flags
by saying that flags mean whatever people want them to mean
by explaining why Brazil has many different flags
3. Based on this passage, which of these statements can be concluded about
Brazil?
a. Brazil’s history has not been affected by people from other
countries.
b. Brazilians are not very proud of the landscape of their country.
c. Nobody knows for sure how Brazil’s flag was designed.
d. Natural resources are important to Brazil and its history.
4. Read the following sentence: “The blue sphere around the stars in the flag
resembles the bright blue sky over Brazil.”
The word resembles means
a.
b.
c.
d.
covers up
looks like
shines brightly
gets rid of
5
®
© 2012 ReadWorks , Inc. All rights reserved.
Answers: Brazil Today – The Flag of Brazil
5. The main idea of this passage is that the Brazilian flag
a.
b.
c.
d.
was created thousands of years ago.
is more complicated than most other flags.
symbolizes the government and the landscape.
is not rectangular in shape like most flags.
6. How do the yellow and green in the flag symbolize the natural
resources in Brazil?
Suggested answer: Yellow represents gold and diamonds which were
mined in Brazil. Green represents the forests and fields that produce
sugar, coffee, and rubber.
7. Explain how the symbolism in the flag of Brazil represents both positive and
negative things in the country’s history.
Suggested answer: The Brazilian flag represents positive things like the
beautiful landscape and resources of Brazil and the motto “Order and
Progress.” The flag also brings to mind the slavery that was once used to
work the country’s plantations.
8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the answer that best
completes the sentence.
The yellow in the flag in the shape of a diamond represents gold and
diamonds______________the early wealth of Brazil came from gold and
diamonds.
a.
b.
c.
d.
before
because
even though
so
9. Read the following sentence.
The flag of Brazil represents the country’s landscape by using symbols.
Answer the questions below based on the information provided in the sentence
you just read. One of the questions has already been answered for you.
1. What? The flag of Brazil
2. What does the the flag of Brazil do? represents the country’s landscape
3. How? by using symbols
6
®
© 2012 ReadWorks , Inc. All rights reserved.
Answers: Brazil Today – The Flag of Brazil
10. Vocabulary Word: resource: material, money or things needed to give help.
Use the vocabulary word in a sentence: answers may vary.
7
®
© 2012 ReadWorks , Inc. All rights reserved.

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