Vocabulary Challenge
What does the Latin root **-flect-** mean in “reflect”?
Bend
Who is the main character in “The Competition”?
Tasha
Give one example of descriptive detail from “The Competition” that makes the narrative realistic.
Sweating, glasses sliding down nose, shirt choking her, etc.
In the sentence “She sweats and feels anxious,” what is the verb tense?
Present Tense
In “He had grown so much since they last saw him,” which word is the helping verb?
What are some of the challenges and triumphs of growing up?
In “mission,” the root **-mis-/mit-** means what?
Send or Let go
Where does the story take place?
On a school auditorium stage during a quiz competition
How does the author build suspense during the competition?
By describing Tosha’s nervous thoughts and distractions before the final question
Identify the subject in: “The actors must memorize their lines.”
The actors
Name one challenge of growing up that Tosha faces.
Dealing with nervousness and fear of failure
The word “contribute” comes from the Latin root **-trib-**. What does it mean?
Contribute or give
What question does Mrs. Rashid ask at the end of the competition?
“The largest in size or in population?” referring to the most populated city
What is the point of view of “The Competition”?
First-person
Which word in “reflection” is the root, and what does it mean?
flect- bend
Name one triumph Tosha experiences.
Learning from her mistakes and deciding to change
In “recognize,” the root **-cogn-** means what?
Know
What mistake does Tosha make in answering the final question?
She writes “India” instead of “Tokyo”
How does dialogue help the story feel more realistic?
It shows real interactions between characters, such as Michael’s teasing and classmates’ comments
In the sentence “We recognize our veterans by honoring them,” what is the direct object?
Our veterans
Give an example of how you personally have faced a challenge similar to Tosha’s.
Student response
In “memorize,” the root **-mem-** means what?
Mind
What lesson does Tosha learn by the end?
Not to worry needlessly and stress herself out
What is the tone of the story?
Nervous and tense, shifting to reflective
In “He had grown so much since they last saw him,” which word is the helping verb?
Had
How can this story inspire you to handle future challenges?
Student response