Reading for Meaning
Maya stared at the dark clouds gathering above the soccer field. Her teammates continued warming up, but Maya grabbed the equipment bags and moved them beneath the covered benches.
What can you infer about Maya?
A. She wants to leave practice early.
B. She believes it is probably going to rain.
C. She is angry with her teammates.
D. She doesn't want to play today.
B. She believes it is probably going to rain.
A boy refuses help while building a treehouse because he wants to do everything himself. After the treehouse collapses twice, he finally accepts his sister's help, and together they finish it.
Which theme is BEST supported?
A. Family members always disagree.
B. People should avoid difficult projects.
C. Building things requires patience.
D. Accepting help can lead to success
D. Accepting help can lead to success.
DOUBLE POINTS!
When the new student sits alone at lunch, Layla moves to his table and introduces herself.
Which trait BEST describes Layla?
A. Curious
B. Welcoming
C. Independent
D. Competitive
B. Welcoming
After hiking for six hours, the weary campers dropped their backpacks and immediately sat down.
What does weary most likely mean?
A. Excited
B. Tired
C. Confused
D. Angry
B. Tired
A student wants to win the spelling bee but keeps forgetting how to spell the final ten words on the study list.
What is the main conflict?
The student wants to win the spelling bee but is struggling to learn the words.
What is Mrs. Gotham's first name?
A. Alyson
B. Alison
C. Allison
D. Allyson
C. Allison
After his name was announced, Andre slowly walked toward the stage. He kept smoothing the front of his shirt and checking that his note cards were still in his pocket. When the principal handed him the microphone, Andre took a deep breath before speaking.
What can the reader infer about Andre?
A. He forgot what he planned to say.
B. He is excited to receive an award.
C. He is nervous about speaking.
D. He is annoyed with the principal.
C. He is nervous about speaking.
Talia desperately wants to make the basketball team. She practices every morning for weeks but still doesn't make it. Instead of quitting, she asks the coach what she needs to improve and begins practicing those skills.
Which theme is BEST supported?
A. Winning is the most important part of playing a sport.
B. Natural talent is more valuable than practice.
C. Coaches determine whether someone will succeed.
D. Failure does not have to stop someone from pursuing a goal.
D. Failure does not have to stop someone from pursuing a goal.
Even though Carlos has already solved the math problem, he checks his calculations three times before turning in his test.
Which trait BEST describes Carlos?
A. Unsure
B. Impatient
C. Careful
D. Creative
C. Careful
Unlike her talkative brother, Mia was reserved around people she didn't know.
What does reserved mean?
Quiet or not very outgoing.
Jordan desperately wants to make the soccer team, but he becomes extremely nervous whenever someone watches him play.
Which type of conflict is MOST important?
A. Character vs. Character
B. Character vs. Nature
C. Character vs. Self
D. Character vs. Society
C. Character vs. Self
Which TWO are Mrs. Gotham's favorite hobbies?
A. Jigsaw Puzzles
B. Kayaking
C. Crocheting Tiny Animals
D. Playing Fallout
E. Crossword Puzzles
A. Jigsaw Puzzles
E. Crossword Puzzles
For three weeks, Elena had complained about having to practice the piano every afternoon. On the night of the recital, however, she arrived forty minutes early. She practiced the difficult section twice backstage and refused her brother's suggestion that they leave immediately after her performance.
What do Elena's actions BEST reveal?
A. Performing well matters to her even though she complains about practicing.
B. She only practices because her family forces her to.
C. She enjoys complaining more than playing piano.
D. She is worried that her brother will perform better than she will.
A. Performing well matters to her even though she complains about practicing.
Two friends discover a wallet containing $200. One wants to keep the money, arguing that no one saw them find it. The other insists on turning it in. After arguing, they return the wallet and discover it belongs to an elderly man who had been saving the money to buy medication.
Which theme is BEST developed?
A. People should avoid making decisions when they disagree because it can get too complicated.
B. Money causes problems between friends, especially when they suddenly have money.
C. Doing what is right matters even when doing the wrong thing would benefit you.
D. People are more likely to be honest when they know someone is watching.
C. Doing what is right matters even when doing the wrong thing would benefit you.
Nina promised her younger brother that she would attend his concert. When her friends invite her to a movie at the same time, Nina tells them she'll go another day and attends the concert.
Which trait is BEST revealed through Nina's decision?
A. Adventurous
B. Dependable
C. Stubborn
D. Protective
B. Dependable
The coach's compliment bolstered Jamal's confidence.
What does bolstered most likely mean?
Grew, strengthened, boosted.
At the beginning of a story, Keisha refuses to work with anyone because she believes she can do everything better herself. Her group then receives a project that requires four different tasks to be completed simultaneously.
How will this situation MOST LIKELY affect the plot?
A. Keisha will be forced to confront her unwillingness to trust and work with others.
B. Keisha will leave the group because she dislikes the assignment.
C. Keisha will complete all four tasks easily and prove she was correct.
D. Keisha's group members will decide that she should complete the entire project.
A. Keisha will be forced to confront her unwillingness to trust and work with others.
What is something that Mrs. Gotham actually collects?
A. Coffee mugs
B. Stickers
C. Rocks
D. Magnets
C. Rocks
Marcus told everyone that losing the championship didn't bother him. "It's just a game," he said, laughing as his teammates packed their bags. Later, when the locker room was empty, Marcus returned to the court and stood staring at the scoreboard until the lights shut off.
How does Marcus's behavior complicate what he says?
A. Marcus is angry because his teammates did not care enough about winning.
B. Marcus has already accepted the loss and is ready to move forward.
C. Marcus claims the loss does not matter, but his actions suggest he is more disappointed than he admits.
D. Marcus returns to the court because he wants to understand why his team lost.
C. Marcus claims the loss does not matter, but his actions suggest he is more disappointed than he admits.
At the beginning of a story, Jonah refuses to audition for the school musical because he is afraid his classmates will laugh at him. After watching another student forget her lines but continue performing anyway, Jonah changes his mind and auditions.
Which theme is BEST developed through Jonah's response to the other student's experience?
A. Watching others make mistakes can help us avoid making the same mistakes ourselves.
B. Seeing someone face a difficult situation can give us courage to face our own fears.
C. People become successful when they stop worrying about what others think.
D. Fear usually comes from imagining that a situation will be worse than it actually is.
B. Seeing someone face a difficult situation can give us courage to face our own fears.
Eli complains constantly about the community garden his parents make him volunteer at. However, when he notices that several plants are dying, he spends his own money on new soil and arrives early the next Saturday to replace them.
What do Eli's actions MOST strongly reveal about his character?
A. Eli is responsible because he always completes tasks when adults expect him to.
B. Eli is independent because he prefers working without his parents.
C. Eli is stubborn because he refuses to admit that he enjoys gardening.
D. Eli is more caring and invested than his complaints suggest.
D. Eli is more caring and invested than his complaints suggest.
The principal's announcement did little to alleviate the students' concerns about the final's week.
What does alleviate most likely mean?
Reduce, lower, etc.
A story begins with Malik hiding a failing test from his parents. He then has to invent increasingly complicated lies to explain why his teacher keeps emailing home. Eventually, his parents discover both the grade and the lies.
How does Malik's original decision to hide the test MOST affect the development of the plot?
A. It establishes that Malik's parents expect him to earn good grades.
B. It introduces a conflict between Malik and his teacher that becomes the story's main problem.
C. It causes Malik to make additional choices that increase the conflict and lead to its eventual discovery.
D. It delays the main conflict until Malik's parents discover that he failed the test.
C. It causes Malik to make additional choices that increase the conflict and lead to its eventual discovery.
DOUBLE POINTS!
What endurance event is Mrs. Gotham training for?
A triathlon!
When Priya's science project failed during the competition, she congratulated the winner and helped clean the demonstration table. On the bus ride home, she opened her notebook and wrote down everything that had gone wrong. At the bottom of the page, she wrote, Next year.
What larger idea about Priya is developed through this sequence of events?
Answers may vary.
Key words: resilient, determined, persistent, learns from failure/mistakes, tries again, improve, doesn't give up
For years, Amara tries to beat her older sister's running records. Even after winning races, she feels disappointed whenever her times are slower than her sister's. Eventually, Amara stops checking the old records and begins tracking only her own previous times. For the first time, finishing second in a race doesn't ruin her day.
Identify the BEST theme.
Answers may vary.
Key words: comparison, comparing yourself to others, own growth, improvement, self-worth, success, personal progress, happiness/satisfaction
Sofia is known for winning every class debate. During the final debate, her partner freezes and forgets his argument. Sofia could take over, but instead she quietly points to his notes and whispers, "You've got this." After he finishes, she lets him answer the judges' questions.
What does Sofia's response reveal about her character?
Answers may vary.
Key words: supportive, encouraging, selfless, confident, considerate, team player, helps others succeed, doesn't need attention/credit
Although Theo usually made decisions quickly, this time he was circumspect.
What does circumspect most likely mean?
Careful/cautious before making a decision
DOUBLE POINTS!
At the beginning of a story, Lila avoids disagreements because she is afraid of losing her friends. When her best friend begins excluding another student, Lila stays silent. As the exclusion gets worse, Lila becomes increasingly uncomfortable. Finally, Lila decides to confront her friend and tell her that what she is doing is wrong.
How does Lila’s fear of conflict affect the development of the story?
A. Lila’s fear causes her discomfort to increase until she realizes that maintaining her friendship is more important than avoiding disagreement.
B. Lila’s fear creates the main conflict because she must convince her friend to stop excluding the other student.
C. Lila’s fear causes her to delay confronting her friend, which allows the situation to worsen and eventually forces Lila to make a difficult choice.
D. Lila’s fear motivates her to observe her friend’s behavior until she has enough evidence to decide that confronting her is necessary.
C. Lila’s fear causes her to delay confronting her friend, which allows the situation to worsen and eventually forces Lila to make a difficult choice.
What is the name of the book that Mrs. Gotham wrote? (It can be found in her classroom library!)
Falling