GRADE

Leveled Reader (Chapters 1-4)

The Biggest Storm

Story by Suzanne Simard

Edited by Pia Zorayda Busiños
Illustrations by Rea Diwata Mendoza

GOVERNMENT PROPERTY. NOT FOR SALE.

Leveled Reader in English
The Biggest Storm (Chapters 1-4)

Story by Suzanne Simard

Edited by Pia Zorayda Busiños
Illustrations by Rea Diwata Mendoza
Photos by Darius Arturo Macasi, Jon Andrew Cabiles,
and www.thewatchers.adoraelli.com
Reviewed by Dr. Rosalina Villaneza (DepEd Bureau of Learning Delivery),
Dr. Paraluman Giron, and Regina Ubaña
2016 by U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Produced for the Department of Education under the Basa Pilipinas Program

Basa Pilipinas is USAID/Philippines’ flagship basic education project in support of the

Philippine Government’s early grade reading program. Implemented in close
collaboration with the Department of Education (DepEd), Basa Pilipinas aims to improve
the reading skills for at least one million early grade students in Filipino, English, and
selected Mother Tongues. This will be achieved by improving reading instruction, reading
delivery systems, and access to quality reading materials.

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, or any information storage and
retrieval system without permission from the publisher.

Photographs were used with permission from the owners. Photos on pages 4 and 5
obtained from www.thewatchers.adoraelli.com are included under the fair use
exemption and are restricted from further use.

GOVERNMENT PROPERTY. NOT FOR SALE.

This publication was produced with the generous support of the American people
through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the
Basa Pilipinas Project and the Department of Education.
 Chapter 1

Yolanda first landed in Eastern

Samar and Leyte. As many as
23,200 houses were destroyed
in the Philippines. It was the
deadliest typhoon ever to hit the
country, and sadly, many lost
members of their families.

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1
Yolanda was predicted several
days in advance. Warnings
were broadcasted on radio
and television for two days. The
government took thousands of
people to shelters, but many
shelters were destroyed.

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Philippine communities are used
to typhoons and many towns
take precautions. Yet many
people were not able to protect
themselves. Yolanda was just too
big and too strong. Nobody ever
saw Yolanda bringing in waves as
tall as buildings.

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3
Super Typhoon Yolanda caused
damage to houses, phone
lines, and roads. It also caused
flooding. A flood happens when
heavy rainfall fills and covers
the land. People can be carried
away by the flowing water and
drown. To be safe, you should
look for higher ground and go
there.
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Yolanda also caused landslides.
That is when soil, rock, and
other things begin to slide down
because they have become too
soft and loose.

If a landslide happens and you

are inside the house, go to the
wall that is opposite the landslide.
If you are outside, run far away
from the landslide.
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 Skill Builder 1
Skill Builder

Phonics: Review of Diphthongs

and Ambiguous Vowels

Spelling Words
outside caused joint saw
thousands because spoil crawl
drown precautions wall

Fill in the puzzle with the words from the list.

One has been done for you.

1 2

3 4

T H O U S A N D S
6 7 8

9 11 10

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 Chapter 2

Most of the damage caused by

Typhoon Yolanda was on the
islands of Leyte and Samar. After
the storm, people had no food
to eat nor safe water to drink.
People needed aid, but the
damage was so great that it was
too hard to send help at once.

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Within a week of the typhoon,
thousands of families were taken
to the shelters. Roads and bridges
were cleared so it would be
easier to transport medicine,
food, and safe water to the
typhoon victims.

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Two weeks after the super
typhoon, one million food packs
and more than 200,000 liters of
clean water were distributed to
the area.

In the weeks after that, help

came from all over the world
to restore services like hospitals
and schools.
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Many of the classrooms and
schools on these two islands were
destroyed or badly damaged.
Yet, less than two months after
the typhoon, pupils were back
in school and teachers were
teaching because of the joint
effort of so many people.

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 Skill Builder 2
Skill Builder

Grammar: Coordinating Conjunctions

Write the correct word that will complete the

sentence.

1) A storm is dangerous _____ (for, but) people

can still be safe.

2) People need to know safety measures _____

(so, or) they can be protected.

3) They need to save food _____ (for, yet)

emergencies.

4) You can be prepared ____ (or, and) get

hungry.

5) Sadly, in Yolanda, there was warning ____

(but, nor) precaution could not protect the
people.

6) The government made shelters ____ (yet, so)

these were flooded by Yolanda.

7) A super typhoon is very strong _____

(nor, and) very dangerous.

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 Chapter 3

Super typhoons are becoming

more common. Scientists say that
the abnormal rise in the level of
the sea causes a storm surge.
A storm surge can create floods
and landslides, which cause the
most harm.

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Once you hear a typhoon
warning on the radio or television,
remain calm and find out if you
live where the typhoon will pass.
If you live in the path of the
typhoon, your family should take
typhoon safety measures.

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13
Check your home before a
typhoon arrives and board up
the windows. Take down signs
and other objects that hang
outside, or tie them in place.
This will prevent them from being
carried away by strong winds
and causing damage.

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Help make sure to have a radio,
some candles, matches, and
a three-day supply of food,
water, and fuel. If you live in a
low area, by the ocean, or on a
mountainside, you should go to
a shelter on high ground. This is
the best protection.

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15
 Skill Builder 3
Skill Builder

Phonics: Words with Silent Consonants

(kn, wr, gn)

Identify the pictures. Write kn, wr, or gn on the

blanks.

_ _ ee _ _ ome _ _ ite

_ _ arled _ _ ife _ _ at

_ _ ong _ _ ist _ _ ob

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 Chapter 4

Turn off and unplug appliances

to make sure you are safe.
Ready blankets so you stay
warm. Another simple precaution
is to prepare an emergency
balde (e-balde) or “go bucket.”
Before leaving home, pack
items such as bottles of water, a
flashlight, radio, canned food,
and garbage bags in a plastic
bucket.
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17
Once the typhoon arrives, stay
indoors until it passes. Stay away
from windows that are not
boarded up.

When the eye of the typhoon

passes over, the wind and rain will
almost stop. But do not go
outside, the typhoon is not yet
over.
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There will be wind and rain again
as the tail of the storm comes.
Once it has passed, then we can
say the storm is gone.

Be careful when going outside.

Watch your step and keep your
eyes open for things that may
fall from above. Do not touch
electric wires.
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19
If you see an injured or trapped
person, ask help from an adult,
a policeman, or a soldier. Do not
try to get the person out yourself
for you may get hurt.

When you go back to your

house, enter very carefully.

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Remember that we do not
always know what will happen
during a typhoon. We can never
stop it, but we can help limit the
destruction.

We can help by not getting hurt.

We should make sure that we
and our family are safe.
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 Skill Builder 4
Skill Builder

Grammar: Subordinating Conjunctions

Connect the different cars of the train to form

meaningful sentences. Write your answers in
your notebooks.
as the storm stay inside
passes

1) _________________________________________.
you because you’re safe
listened

2) _________________________________________.

check the the storm after

damage

3) _________________________________________.
someone if call an
needs help adult

4) _________________________________________.
you help you care because
others

5) _________________________________________.

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 Extra Fun

Phonics: Words with Silent Consonants

(kn, wr, gn)

Word Wizard: Change the last two letters of

the previous word to form a new one. Use the
picture clues to guide you.

1) wring

2) wri _ _

3) wri _ _

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 References
Leveled Reader (Chapter 1-6)
Borenstein, S. (2013, November 11). Typhoon
Haiyan blamed on both human and
natural causes. Retrieved from http://www.
huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/11/typhoon-haiyan-
human_n_4257638.html

Emergency preparation tips for typhoons. (n.d.).

Retrieved from http://preparenow.info/emergency-
preparation-tips-for-typhoons-a1.html

Introduction to storm surge. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/hurricane/
resources/surge_intro.pdf

PAGASA. (n.d.). Learning tools [information on a

page]. Retrieved from https://web.pagasa.dost.
gov.ph/index.php/learning-tools

Typhoon [information on a page]. (n.d.). Retrieved

from http://www.cwb.gov.tw/V7e/knowledge/
encyclopedia/me024.htm

Typhoon Yolanda, a year later. (n.d.). Retrieved

from http://www.gov.ph/crisis-response/updates-
typhoon-yolanda/

Vidal, J. (2013, November 8). Typhoon Haiyan the

biggest yet as world’s tropical storms gather force.
Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/
world/2013/nov/08/typhoon-haiyan-biggest-storms

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Typhoon

Haiyan [Wikipedia article]. Retrieved from https://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Haiyan

24 DEPED COPY. All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means—
electronic or mechanical including photocopying—without written permission from the DepEd Central Office. Second Edition, 2016.
 Leveled Reader (Chapters 1-4)

The Biggest Storm

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electronic or mechanical including photocopying—without written permission from the DepEd Central Office. Second Edition, 2016.
25
 RAD
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3

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DEPED-USAID’S BASA PILIPINAS
Leveled Reader in English