Theme and Summary
A girl keeps practicing how to ride a bike. She falls several times but keeps trying. Eventually, she rides down the sidewalk without help.
What is the BEST theme?
A. Bikes are expensive.
B. Practice and persistence can help you succeed.
C. Sidewalks are dangerous.
D. Everyone learns at the same speed.
B. Practice and persistence can help you succeed.
Sam noticed that a new student was sitting alone. He invited her to join his group at lunch.
Which character trait BEST describes Sam?
A. Selfish
B. Kind
C. Careless
D. Impatient
B. Kind
Mia grabbed an umbrella before leaving the house. She put on her rain boots and a raincoat.
What can the reader infer?
A. Mia is going swimming.
B. Mia thinks it might rain.
C. Mia is going to the beach.
D. Mia does not like shoes.
B. Mia thinks it might rain.
Which type of writing is divided into acts and scenes and includes dialogue between characters?
A. Poetry
B. Prose
C. Drama
D. Nonfiction
C. Drama
Although it was raining, Maya brought her soccer cleats to school.
What does the word Although signal?
A. A cause and effect relationship
B. A contrast
C. A sequence of events
D. A comparison
B. A contrast
Which statement is a theme rather than a summary?
A. A boy loses his dog and searches the neighborhood until he finds it.
B. A boy searches for his lost dog and eventually finds it.
C. Never give up when something is important to you.
D. The boy's dog runs away while they are playing.
C. Never give up when something is important to you.
A story takes place in a small fishing village near the ocean in the 1800s.
Which detail is part of the setting?
A. The main character is brave.
B. The character loses a boat.
C. The story takes place near the ocean in the 1800s.
D. The character learns to work hard.
C. The story takes place near the ocean in the 1800s.
Evan looked at the clock. His stomach growled loudly. He packed up his notebook and walked toward the cafeteria.
What can the reader infer?
A. Evan is ready for lunch.
B. Evan forgot his homework.
C. Evan is going home.
D. Evan is going to the library.
A. Evan is ready for lunch.
Read the poem:
The sun shines bright,
The birds take flight,
The flowers grow,
As cool winds blow.
What is the rhyme scheme of this poem?
A. ABAB
B. AABB
C. ABBA
D. AAAA
B. AABB
Nora had always wanted to enter the school science fair. She spent weeks building a model volcano. The day before the fair, the volcano broke. Nora wanted to give up, but her brother encouraged her to try again. She stayed up late rebuilding it. The next morning, Nora's volcano worked perfectly.
Question:
Which statement BEST explains both the theme and how the events support it?
A. The theme is that science fairs are difficult, and Nora's volcano breaks.
B. The theme is that persistence can lead to success, and Nora keeps working after her project breaks.
C. The theme is that family members should help each other, and Nora's brother helps her.
D. The theme is that volcanoes are interesting, and Nora builds a model.
B. The theme is that persistence can lead to success, and Nora keeps working after her project breaks.
A student wants to join the school soccer team. She isn't very good at first, but she listens to her coach, practices every day, and eventually earns a starting position.
Which theme is BEST supported?
A. Coaches are always correct.
B. Soccer is the best sport.
C. Hard work can help people improve.
D. Winning is more important than practicing.
C. Hard work can help people improve.
Which event would MOST likely be the problem in a story?
A. A girl wakes up early.
B. A boy eats breakfast.
C. A family discovers that their car will not start before a road trip.
D. A family arrives at the beach.
C. A family discovers that their car will not start before a road trip.
When Carlos entered the classroom, everyone was sitting silently. A large poster on the board said, "GOOD LUCK!" Carlos smiled nervously and sharpened his pencil.
What can the reader infer?
A. The class is having a party.
B. Carlos is about to take an important test.
C. Carlos is preparing for recess.
D. The teacher is teaching a new lesson.
B. Carlos is about to take an important test.
Read the excerpt:
Maya walked slowly toward the old barn. She could hear the wind blowing through the trees. "I wonder what's inside," she whispered.
What type of text is this?
A. Poetry
B. Drama
C. Prose
D. A play script
C. Prose
Read the passage:
Liam stood behind the curtain, listening to the audience take their seats. He rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants and took a deep breath. When his name was called, he slowly walked onto the stage and looked out at the crowd.
What emotion is Liam MOST likely experiencing at the beginning of the passage?
A. Excited
B. Nervous
C. Angry
D. Confused
B. Nervous
Which is the BEST summary of a story?
A. Ava's grandfather has a garden.
B. Ava helps her grandfather plant a garden, but when a storm damages it, she helps rebuild it. She learns that caring for something sometimes means starting over.
C. Gardens are difficult to take care of.
D. Ava likes spending time with her grandfather.
B. Ava helps her grandfather plant a garden, but when a storm damages it, she helps rebuild it. She learns that caring for something sometimes means starting over.
At the beginning of a story, Marcus refuses to ask for help because he wants to solve everything himself. Later, he realizes he cannot finish his project alone and asks his classmates for help.
What character trait does Marcus MOST likely develop?
A. More independent
B. More willing to cooperate
C. More impatient
D. More careless
B. More willing to cooperate
Lena practiced her speech every afternoon. She stood in front of her family and asked them to listen carefully. On the morning of the presentation, she took a deep breath before walking to the front of the room.
What does this evidence BEST suggest about Lena?
A. She dislikes speaking to people.
B. She forgot what her speech was about.
C. She was nervous but prepared.
D. She did not care about her presentation.
C. She was nervous but prepared.
Read the drama excerpt:
MARCUS: Are you sure this is the right way?
ELLA: I think so. Look! There's a trail of footprints.
MARCUS: Then let's follow them.
What is one feature that helps the reader know this is drama?
A. It has rhyming words.
B. It uses character names and dialogue.
C. It contains a narrator's thoughts.
D. It has paragraphs describing the setting.
B. It uses character names and dialogue.
Read the passage:
Ava stared at the science project on the floor. After spending three weeks building it, she couldn't believe it had fallen apart just minutes before the presentation. She took a deep breath and looked at the clock. Then she picked up the pieces and began putting them back together.
Which statement BEST describes Ava's emotions AND how her actions show those emotions?
A. Ava is excited because she gets to rebuild her project.
B. Ava is angry because she blames her classmates for the accident.
C. Ava is disappointed, but she remains determined to solve the problem.
D. Ava is confused because she does not know what happened to her project.
C. Ava is disappointed, but she remains determined to solve the problem.
A character becomes upset when her friend makes a mistake. Later, the character makes a mistake herself. She realizes how hurtful her earlier reaction was and apologizes.
Which theme is BEST supported?
A. Friends should never make mistakes.
B. People should learn from their mistakes and show understanding toward others.
C. Mistakes always cause problems.
D. Apologizing can solve every problem.
B. People should learn from their mistakes and show understanding toward others.
At the beginning of a story, Elena is afraid to perform in front of an audience. She practices every day. During the final performance, she walks onto the stage and performs confidently.
How does this event contribute to the story?
A. It introduces the setting.
B. It shows how Elena has changed.
C. It introduces a new character.
D. It creates a completely new problem.
B. It shows how Elena has changed.
Jordan noticed that his little brother kept looking at the wrapped box on the kitchen counter. His brother smiled whenever someone mentioned Saturday. Jordan suddenly realized why his mother had told him not to open the closet.
What can the reader infer?
A. Jordan's family is moving.
B. A surprise is being planned.
C. Jordan's brother lost a toy.
D. Saturday is a school day.
B. A surprise is being planned.
A poem describes winter as:
"A quiet blanket covering the sleeping earth."
What does this comparison MOST likely help the reader understand?
A. Winter is dangerous.
B. Snow makes the earth look peaceful and covered.
C. Winter only happens at night.
D. The earth is actually sleeping.
B. Snow makes the earth look peaceful and covered.
Create a T-Chart that explains the difference between what a THEME is and what a THEME is NOT.
Your team must create at least 3 accurate ideas in EACH column.
Theme is....
Theme is not....
THEME IS:
THEME IS NOT: