Practice Expression: “Brave Butterflies”

Expression in reading is how you use your voice to express feeling. Use this passage to practice reading with proper expression. Print a copy of this passage from InsideNG.com to help you monitor your progress.

I awoke in the middle of the night and looked outside. A dim light flickered in one of the Garcías’ windows, a watchful eye spying on us. In the study, I could hear Papi and Mami talking in low whispers. I tiptoed down the hallway and stood in the shadows.

“Alberto, please, you must be more careful,” Mami pleaded. “Getting involved in politics is risky. Think of our friends who have gone to prison or disappeared. Think of the Mirabal sisters. We could suffer the same fate.”

“I am thinking of them,” said Papi. “I am thinking of the courage that the Mirabals—those brave Mariposas—showed in standing up to Trujillo. And I am thinking of our children’s future. Just imagine what it would be like to live in freedom.”