Not everyone is a great cook. At least, that's what you'll realize after reading this poem by Jack Prelutsky.

 An Amazing Meat Loaf

written by Jack Prelutsky
Illustrated by Jennifer D. Kwon

(As you read this poem, think about what the colored vocabulary words must mean by their context.)  

My mother made a meat loaf
that provided much distress,

she tried her best to serve it,
but she met with no success,

her sharpest knife was powerless
to cut a single slice,

and her efforts with a cleaver
failed completely to suffice.

What do you think a cleaver is used for?

A. Chopping meat
B. Hammering nails
C. Mixing cookie dough
D. Cutting paper

She whacked it with a hammer,
and she smacked it with a brick,

but she couldn't faze that meat loaf,
it remained without a nick.

I decided I would help her
and attacked it with a drill,

but the drill made no impression,
though I worked with all my skill.

What is one way you can tell this is a poem?

A. It doesn't tell the characters' names
B. It has people and animals in it.
C. It is funny.
D. It rhymes.

We chipped at it with chisels,
but we didn't make a dent,

it appeared my mother's meat loaf
was much harder than cement,

then we set upon that meat loaf
with a hatchet and an ax,

but that meat loaf stayed untouched
and withstood our fierce attacks.

Which sentence best describes the way the poet felt about the meat loaf?

A. He thought it tasted delicious.
B. He was afraid the meat loaf would poison him.
C. He was surprised it was so strong.
D. He did not want to think about the meat loaf.

We borrowed bows and arrows,
and we fired at close range,

it didn't make a difference,
for that meat loaf didn't change,

we beset it with a blowtorch,
but we couldn't find a flaw,

and we both were shocked
when it broke the power saw.

Which of these things first dented the meat loaf?

A. The ax
B. The arrows
C. The power saw
D. None of these made a dent in the meat loaf.

We hired a hippopotamus
to trample it around,

but that meat loaf was so mighty
that it simply stood its ground,

now we manufacture meat loaves
by the millions, all year long,

they are famous in construction,
building houses tall and strong.

Why did they try to use a hippopotamus to dent the meat loaf?

A. Hippopotamuses like meat.
B. Hippopotamuses have sharp teeth.
C. Hippopotamuses are friendly.
D. Hippopotamuses weigh a lot.

Why did the author probably write this poem?

A. To make readers laugh
B. To keep people from serving meat loaf
C. To show that some people just can't cook well
D. To tell about a new way to build houses