Big Cheese in the White House

The White House has long been a home for U.S. presidents and their families. But from 1835 to early 1837, the White House was also home to a giant piece of cheese. This enormous cheddar block measured four feet wide and two feet tall. It weighed fourteen hundred pounds, which is about as much as a large horse!

Where did this chunk of cheddar come from? In 1835, a dairy farmer named Thomas Meacham made it as a gift for President Andrew Jackson. Before delivering it to the White House, Meacham took the cheese on tour. He showed it off in New York, where it was displayed for over a year.

President Jackson welcomed the gift, but he wasn't sure what to do with it. In 1837, he was getting ready to move out of the White House. So, he decided to share his cheddar treasure. On February 22, Jackson held a huge public party. About ten thousand people showed up to meet the president, talk with government leaders, and of course eat cheese. In less than two hours, the cheese block was gone! However, the strong cheesy smell stayed around for much longer. The next president had to remove the curtains, paint the walls, and air out the carpet to get rid of the odor.

The scent of the cheese eventually faded. However, the memory of Jackson's famous party has lived on in other ways. In 2014, President Barack Obama's administration held a virtual event called "Big Block of Cheese Day." Unlike Jackson's event, Big Block of Cheese Day did not include actual cheese or a White House party. Instead of chatting with people over a plate of cheddar, government leaders connected with people online. They listened to ideas and answered questions that people sent to them on the internet. The event was a success, and Big Block of Cheese Day continued for two more years.

The White House may never again be home to a fourteen hundred pound chunk of cheese. However, the story of the giant cheese block continues to live on It reminds leaders to think of new and creative ways to stay connected with the people they lead.

What is the text about?

Review paragraph 2:

Big Cheese in the White House

The White House has long been a home for U.S. presidents and their families. But from 1835 to early 1837, the White House was also home to a giant piece of cheese. This enormous cheddar block measured four feet wide and two feet tall. It weighed fourteen hundred pounds, which is about as much as a large horse!

Where did this chunk of cheddar come from? In 1835, a dairy farmer named Thomas Meacham made it as a gift for President Andrew Jackson. Before delivering it to the White House, Meacham took the cheese on tour. He showed it off in New York, where it was displayed for over a year.

President Jackson welcomed the gift, but he wasn't sure what to do with it. In 1837, he was getting ready to move out of the White House. So, he decided to share his cheddar treasure. On February 22, Jackson held a huge public party. About ten thousand people showed up to meet the president, talk with government leaders, and of course eat cheese. In less than two hours, the cheese block was gone! However, the strong cheesy smell stayed around for much longer. The next president had to remove the curtains, paint the walls, and air out the carpet to get rid of the odor.

The scent of the cheese eventually faded. However, the memory of Jackson's famous party has lived on in other ways. In 2014, President Barack Obama's administration held a virtual event called "Big Block of Cheese Day." Unlike Jackson's event, Big Block of Cheese Day did not include actual cheese or a White House party. Instead of chatting with people over a plate of cheddar, government leaders connected with people online. They listened to ideas and answered questions that people sent to them on the internet. The event was a success, and Big Block of Cheese Day continued for two more years.

The White House may never again be home to a fourteen hundred pound chunk of cheese. However, the story of the giant cheese block continues to live on It reminds leaders to think of new and creative ways to stay connected with the people they lead.

What is true about Andrew Jackson's giant block of cheese?

Review the word in bold in paragraph 3:

Big Cheese in the White House

The White House has long been a home for U.S. presidents and their families. But from 1835 to early 1837, the White House was also home to a giant piece of cheese. This enormous cheddar block measured four feet wide and two feet tall. It weighed fourteen hundred pounds, which is about as much as a large horse!

Where did this chunk of cheddar come from? In 1835, a dairy farmer named Thomas Meacham made it as a gift for President Andrew Jackson. Before delivering it to the White House, Meacham took the cheese on tour. He showed it off in New York, where it was displayed for over a year.

President Jackson welcomed the gift, but he wasn't sure what to do with it. In 1837, he was getting ready to move out of the White House. So, he decided to share his cheddar treasure. On February 22, Jackson held a huge public party. About ten thousand people showed up to meet the president, talk with government leaders, and of course eat cheese. In less than two hours, the cheese block was gone! However, the strong cheesy smell stayed around for much longer. The next president had to remove the curtains, paint the walls, and air out the carpet to get rid of the odor.

The scent of the cheese eventually faded. However, the memory of Jackson's famous party has lived on in other ways. In 2014, President Barack Obama's administration held a virtual event called "Big Block of Cheese Day." Unlike Jackson's event, Big Block of Cheese Day did not include actual cheese or a White House party. Instead of chatting with people over a plate of cheddar, government leaders connected with people online. They listened to ideas and answered questions that people sent to them on the internet. The event was a success, and Big Block of Cheese Day continued for two more years.

The White House may never again be home to a fourteen hundred pound chunk of cheese. However, the story of the giant cheese block continues to live on It reminds leaders to think of new and creative ways to stay connected with the people they lead.

What is the meaning of odor as used in the text?

Review paragraphs 4 and 5:

Big Cheese in the White House

The White House has long been a home for U.S. presidents and their families. But from 1835 to early 1837, the White House was also home to a giant piece of cheese. This enormous cheddar block measured four feet wide and two feet tall. It weighed fourteen hundred pounds, which is about as much as a large horse!

Where did this chunk of cheddar come from? In 1835, a dairy farmer named Thomas Meacham made it as a gift for President Andrew Jackson. Before delivering it to the White House, Meacham took the cheese on tour. He showed it off in New York, where it was displayed for over a year.

President Jackson welcomed the gift, but he wasn't sure what to do with it. In 1837, he was getting ready to move out of the White House. So, he decided to share his cheddar treasure. On February 22, Jackson held a huge public party. About ten thousand people showed up to meet the president, talk with government leaders, and of course eat cheese. In less than two hours, the cheese block was gone! However, the strong cheesy smell stayed around for much longer. The next president had to remove the curtains, paint the walls, and air out the carpet to get rid of the odor.

The scent of the cheese eventually faded. However, the memory of Jackson's famous party has lived on in other ways. In 2014, President Barack Obama's administration held a virtual event called "Big Block of Cheese Day." Unlike Jackson's event, Big Block of Cheese Day did not include actual cheese or a White House party. Instead of chatting with people over a plate of cheddar, government leaders connected with people online. They listened to ideas and answered questions that people sent to them on the internet. The event was a success, and Big Block of Cheese Day continued for two more years.

The White House may never again be home to a fourteen hundred pound chunk of cheese. However, the story of the giant cheese block continues to live on It reminds leaders to think of new and creative ways to stay connected with the people they lead.

Imagine that a future president wanted to host a Big Block of Cheese Day based on Andrew Jackson's cheese party. Using clues in the text, which of the following activities would most likely be included in this event?

Which is the best summary of the text?

Select the word that means given up.

Most TV and movie directors have abandoned film cameras and switched to digital cameras. Why? Digital and film footage costs about the same to produce, so it's not to save money. It's because digital footage is easier to edit.

Select the word that means most important.

Most people think that the primary job of their nose is to pick up smells.  But did you know your nose has another job? Special cells in the nose and mouth work together to tell you how something tastes.

Select the word that means the period during which someone rules.

Cleopatra was queen of Egypt from the age of eighteen until her death at thirty-nine. During her reign, she shared the throne first with one brother, then another brother, and then finally her son. She is remembered as a strong and clever leader. 

Select the word that means a person who runs away to avoid capture.

In May 2015 seventy-nine-year-old William Cox was arrested at his residence in Florida, where he admitted that his real name was actually Frank Freshwaters. By the time police finally tracked him down, he had been a fugitive from the law for fifty-six years. His shocked neighbors said they had never suspected his criminal past.

Select the word that means people who aren't members of the armed forces.

The first seven Americans named as astronauts in 1959 were pilots from the Army, Air Force, or Marines. The selection committee believed that their flying experience would be valuable in space flight. Nowadays, though, many astronauts are civilians without military experience but with relevant degrees in science, engineering, or math.

Select the word that means the cause of a problem.

Epidemiologists are public health workers who investigate patterns of disease. When faced with a sudden outbreak of illness, epidemiologists study the situation to identify the culprit. It might be bacteria in food, a virus spread by insects, or dirty, contaminated water supplies. Working quickly to solve the mystery, epidemiologists can save many lives.

 Select the word that means appearing repeatedly.

Jacqueline Woodson has written more than thirty books, and readers of all ages find them engaging and meaningful. In many of her books, Woodson's characters deal with the challenges of growing up and finding their way in the world. In fact, a character's coming of age is a recurring theme in Woodson's work.

 Select the word that means a special force or stress given to something.

Reggae music, which developed in Jamaica in the 1960s, has a distinctive rhythm. Unlike many other styles of music, reggae often features a strong drumbeat on the third beat of a measure. This emphasis on the offbeat helps give reggae its characteristic sound.

 Select the word that means pieces of equipment used for a specific activity.

Friedrich Jahn, a nineteenth-century German educator, is often referred to as the father of modern gymnastics. Gymanstics has been around for nearly two thousand years. However, Jahn greatly changed the sport. He invented most of its modern apparatuses, including the balance beam, parallel bars, rings, and the pommel horse.

 Select the word that means distance from side to side.

The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water. It is almost 750 miles long and about 200 miles in breadth. It is bordered by five countries, including Iran and Russia. Three major rivers and several smaller ones flow into the Capsian Sea, but none flow out. 

 Select the word that means leaving out.

You can usually improve your writing by omitting unnecessary words. Instead of writing "large in size," you could just write "large," for example. Choose your words with care; the best writers make every syllable in a sentence count.

 Select the word that means relating to the body.

The United States Supreme Court has declared that spanking children in school is not "cruel and unusual" treatment under the Constitution. Nonetheless, most states have banned corporal punishment in public schools. Many experts say that more constructive forms of discipline, such as requiring students to apologize or leave the room if they misbehave, promote better learning environments.