Inferences
The sun had just set when a low, rumbling sound echoed through the valley. Suddenly, the streetlights flickered on, and people began to scurry toward their homes. Mrs. Gable looked at the dark, swirling clouds and grabbed her umbrella from the porch.
What can you infer is about to happen?
A) A parade is starting down the street.
B) A thunderstorm is approaching.
C) The sun is coming back out.
D) Mrs. Gable is going to a sunny beach.
What is a thunderstorm is approaching?
"The explorers were tired, but their leader was obstinate. Even though it was getting dark and everyone wanted to stop, he refused to change his mind and insisted that they keep walking until they reached the river."
In this passage, the word obstinate most likely means:
A) Tired and sleepy
B) Stubborn and unwilling to yield
C) Lost and confused
D) Excited and joyful
What is stubborn and unwilling to yield?
"Mr. Gable had three children, but everyone knew that his youngest daughter, Lily, was the apple of his eye. He kept a framed photo of her on his desk and lit up with a massive smile every time she walked into the room."
What does the phrase apple of his eye mean in this passage?
A) Mr. Gable has a piece of fruit stuck in his eye.
B) Lily is Mr. Gable's favorite person who he loves very much.
C) Mr. Gable thinks Lily looks like a round, red fruit.
D) Lily helps her father pick apples in the orchard.
What is Lily is Mr. Gable's favorite person who he loves very much?
"The squirrel was incredibly nimble as it leapt from the thin oak branch to the top of the fence. It moved so quickly and easily that the cat sitting below didn't even have time to look up before the squirrel was gone."
Based on the passage, what does the word nimble mean?
A) Very hungry
B) Moving quickly and lightly
C) Scared and trembling
D) Loud and noisy
What is moving quickly and lightly?
The crowd held its breath as the girl stood on the high board. She looked down at the blue water far below and took a deep breath. She stepped back, wiped her sweaty palms on her swimsuit, and then stepped forward again, peeking over the edge with a small shiver.
Question: How is the girl likely feeling?
A) Bored and tired
B) Excited and loud
C) Nervous and hesitant
D) Angry and frustrated
What is nervous and hesitant?
As the moving truck pulled away, a tall boy stepped out of the car. He was wearing a jersey with a large "10" on the back and carrying a orange ball that had black stripes. He immediately looked around the neighborhood for a tall pole with a net attached to it.
What can you infer about the boy’s hobbies?
A) He enjoys playing soccer in the grass.
B) He is a professional truck driver.
C) He likes to play basketball.
D) He is looking for a place to go fishing.
What is he likes to play basketball?
"After the long, dry summer, the rain finally fell. Within a few days, the brown grass began to flourish. It turned a bright, healthy green and grew so quickly that Mr. Henderson had to mow the lawn twice in one week."
In this passage, the word flourish most likely means: A) To dry up and die
B) To change color
C) To grow or develop strongly
D) To make a loud noise
What is to grow or develop strongly?
"Is it already three o'clock?' whispered Chloe. She had been so focused on painting her masterpiece that she hadn't noticed the sun moving across the sky. 'Wow,' she thought, 'time flies when you're having fun!'"
What does the phrase time flies mean in this passage? A) The clock has grown wings and is moving around the room.
B) Small insects are landing on the painting.
C) Time seems to pass very quickly because Chloe is busy.
D) Chloe is dreaming about flying in an airplane.
What is time seems to pass very quickly because Chloe is busy?
"The cactus is a hardy plant that can survive in the scorching heat of the desert. Even when there is no rain for many months, the cactus remains strong and healthy because it stores water inside its thick trunk."
Which words from the text act as a clue to the meaning of hardy?
A) "Scorching heat"
B) "Thick trunk"
C) "Survive" and "remains strong"
D) "No rain"
What is "Survive" and "remains strong"?
Max walked through the front door and dropped his umbrella, leaving a puddle on the rug. He kicked off his boots, which were covered in thick, brown slime. "I guess I should have taken the sidewalk instead of the shortcut through the construction site," he sighed, reaching for a towel.
Question: What can you infer about Max’s walk home? A) It was a sunny day.
B) He walked through a muddy area while it was raining.
C) He was playing soccer in the park.
D) He forgot to wear shoes today.
What is he walked through a muddy area while it was raining?
Passage: Toby walked into the kitchen and saw a trail of brown crumbs leading from the counter to the rug. His favorite plate was sitting on the floor, licked completely clean. Nearby, his dog, Buster, was hiding under the table, refusing to look Toby in the eye.
What most likely happened in the kitchen?
A) Toby ate his cookies too fast.
B) The wind blew the plate off the counter.
C) A ghost visited the kitchen and cleaned the plate.
D) Buster ate Toby's snack without permission.
What is Buster ate Toby's snack without permission?
"When Mom saw the shattered vase on the floor, her expression was stern. She didn't yell, but her face was very serious and her voice was firm as she asked who had been running in the house."
In this passage, the word stern most likely means:
A) Strict and serious
B) Kind and gentle
C) Silly and playful
D) Sad and lonely
What is strict and serious?
"As the storm grew stronger, the old house began to creak. Outside, the wind whistled through the cracks in the window frame. It sounded like a lonely flute playing a sad song in the dark of the night."
What does the phrase the wind whistled mean in this passage?
A) The wind was literally blowing into a silver whistle.
B) A person was standing outside the window making noise.
C) The wind made a high-pitched sound as it blew through small spaces.
D) The wind was trying to teach the house how to play music.
What is the wind made a high-pitched sound as it blew through small spaces?
"After searching his entire room for his favorite car, Leo felt melancholy. He sat on the edge of his bed with a frown on his face, sighing deeply as he looked at his empty toy box."
Question: Using context clues, what is the meaning of melancholy?
A) Excited
B) Confused
C) Sad or gloomy
D) Full of energy
What is sad or gloomy?
The kitchen was filled with a warm, sweet smell. A timer went off with a loud ding! Mom put on her thick oven mitts and pulled out a metal tray. On the tray were twelve golden-brown circles that made the whole house smell like chocolate and sugar.
What is most likely happening in this passage?
A) Mom is making a salad for lunch.
B) Mom is cleaning the kitchen floor.
C) Mom is taking freshly baked cookies out of the oven.
D) Mom is fixing a broken clock.
What is mom is taking freshly baked cookies out of the oven?
Passage: When Maya woke up, she noticed she could see her own breath in the bedroom. She looked out the window and saw that the birdbath was topped with a layer of solid, clear glass. She pulled her heaviest wool socks and a thick sweater out of her drawer before heading downstairs.
What is the temperature most likely like outside?
A) It is below freezing outside.
B) It is a hot, humid summer day.
C) It is a rainy spring afternoon.
D) It is a mild, windy fall morning.
What is it is below freezing outside?
"The box was wrapped in plain brown paper, which made the contents very obscure. Tim shook the box and listened closely, but he still had no idea what was hidden inside the mysterious package."
In this passage, the word obscure most likely means:
A) Bright and colorful
B) Large and heavy
C) Clear and easy to see
D) Not well-known or difficult to see
What is Not well-known or difficult to see?
"Ever since the vase was broken, the house had been very quiet. Everyone was walking on eggshells around Aunt Martha because she was in such a terrible mood. No one wanted to say the wrong thing and make her even angrier."
What does the phrase walking on eggshells mean in this passage?
A) The floor is covered in broken pieces of breakfast food.
B) Everyone is being extremely careful not to upset someone.
C) The characters are trying to be loud to get Aunt Martha's attention.
D) Everyone is wearing special shoes made out of shells.
What is everyone is being extremely careful not to upset someone?
"The thunder was so formidable that it made the windows rattle in their frames. The loud, powerful booms were enough to make the dog hide under the sofa until the storm passed by."
What does the word formidable most likely mean in this sentence?
A) Quiet or soft
B) Large and colorful
C) Friendly and kind
D) Powerful and scary
What is powerful and scary?
The tall man in the striped shirt blew a loud whistle and pointed toward the sideline. He picked up the orange ball and handed it to the player standing behind the white line. The player looked for a teammate to toss the ball to before the five-second clock ran out.
What sport are the people playing?
A) Baseball
B) Basketball
C) Swimming
D) Hockey
What is basketball?
Dad handed Sarah a small box wrapped in shiny blue paper. As Sarah took it, she felt something wiggling inside. Then, she heard a soft "Yip!" followed by the sound of scratching against the cardboard. Sarah’s eyes filled with tears of joy as she slowly untied the ribbon.
What is inside the box?
A) A new pair of squeaky shoes.
B) A battery-operated toy car.
C) A small puppy.
D) A collection of sea shells.
What is a small puppy?
"Mrs. Gable is known for being benevolent. Last week, she baked cookies for the new neighbors, and every Saturday she spends her morning picking up trash at the local park just to help the community."
In this passage, the word benevolent most likely means:
A) Wealthy and famous
B) Mean and grumpy
C) Kind and helpful
D) Busy and rushed
What is kind and helpful?
"After the group project was finished, the teacher asked how they divided the work. Sarah admitted that she had done the lion's share of the research, while the other three students had only helped with the coloring and the cover page."
What does the phrase the lion's share mean in this passage?
A) Sarah brought a large cat to school to help her.
B) Sarah did most of the work compared to the others.
C) Sarah only did a very tiny, quiet part of the project.
D) The project was about lions living in the wild.
What is Sarah did most of the work compared to the others?
"The spider began to fabricate its web by pulling thin silk from its body and stretching it between two rose bushes. It worked carefully to build the circular pattern, piece by piece, until the trap was finished."
In this passage, the word fabricate means:
A) To destroy or break
B) To create or build
C) To eat or swallow
D) To hide or camouflage
What is to create or build?
Logan looked at the red circle on the calendar and then at his empty piggy bank. He had been saving for months, but he was still five dollars short. He grabbed a rake from the garage and started heading toward his neighbor’s yard, which was covered in crunchy, fallen leaves.
Why is Logan going to his neighbor’s yard with a rake? A) He wants to play a game in the leaves.
B) He is trying to find a lost toy.
C) He wants to earn the last five dollars he needs by working.
D) He is angry that the leaves are on the ground.
What is he wants to earn the last five dollars he needs by working?