Reading Comprehension – Series Grade 6 by Hayes School Publishing – H-R176R

Norman Mingo saw the advertisement and answered it. The people at Mad told him what they wanted. They also told him that Neuman was not a real person but a figment of their collective imaginations. Actually, it is believed that the name came from Alfred E. Newman, a band leader on a popular radio show who was the brunt of many jokes. The spelling was changed when the editors at Mad adopted the name.

Norman Mingo left the meeting with the Mad people and went home. That night he started to draw, and by morning a leering face with big ears took shape on his drawing board. Alfred E. Neuman had been born!

The editors thought the image was perfect and hired Mr. Mingo to draw Alfred. Alfred’s face has now appeared on every cover of Mad except one and has become the official trademark. The strange looking male has been on T-shirts, posters, and even in a Broadway musical. As a logo, or trademark, he has become world-famous. When asked if he was jealous of his character’s fame, Mr. Mingo once replied, “What? Me jealous?”

Write your answers to each question in a complete sentence:

1. This article is mainly about (what person?)__________________________.
2. What did he create? _______________________________________________.
3. At what point in his career did he create this? _______________________.
4. Underline the clues in the story that tell you that Mr. Mingo was not a young man when he got the Mad job.
5. What other kinds of art did Mingo do? ______________________________.
6. How did Mad first get attention? ____________________________________.
7. What was the slogan? _____________________________________________.
8. What do you learn about Alfred E. Neuman?________________________.
9. How does Alfred E. Neuman fit into the story? _______________________.
   Who was he?______________________________________________________.
10. Do you think Mr. Mingo was jealous of Alfred’s fame? Explain. ______.
    __________________________________________________________________.

On Your Own

Each word below was used in the story. Find the word and underline it. What does the
word mean? Check the dictionary to be sure, then use each word in a sentence of your
own.

11. trademark ________________________________________________________
12. figment __________________________________________________________
13. commercial ______________________________________________________
14. brunt ____________________________________________________________
15. leering ___________________________________________________________
16. logo _____________________________________________________________
17. collective _________________________________________________________
18. slogan ___________________________________________________________
    List several synonyms for each word below.
19. leering ___________________________________________________________
20. brunt ____________________________________________________________

ANSWER KEY
Pages 1-2. A Mad Cartoonist
Skills Reinforced: Main Idea, Inference, Details Students should write their answers in complete sentences whenever possible in all exercises. Answers will vary but should contain the following points: 1. Norman Mingo 2. Alfred E. Neuman 3. late in his career 4. underline World War I, next thirty years, sixty years old 5. portraits, fashion illustrations, commercial art 6. with a mock presidential campaign 7. “What? Me worry?” 8. mock presidential candidate, name came from a bandleader, has a leering face, big ears, strange looking, magazine trademark became world famous 9. gave the character his name, bandleader 10. answers will vary; personal opinion 11-20. Answers will vary.

Page 3. What’s So Funny?
Skills Reinforced: Main Idea, Details, Literary Form 1. literature that makes fun of human weakness; humor with a purpose 2. to make people stop to think 3. writes satire 4. plays, poems, novels, short stories 5. Yes. Answers will vary. 6. In the Bible, ancient Greeks wrote satire, early Romans wrote satire 7. Answers will vary. Could lead to a discussion of stock characters 8-10. Answers will vary.

Pages 4-5. Groups Within Groups
Skills Reinforced: Main Idea, Sequence, Details

1. system of classification of animals 2. classifying