A
Shawn sat in his seat as the morning bell rang and released a big yawn. He rubbed his eyes and could feel how baggy they were. He stretched as the teacher went to the front of the class and began talking, "Good morning, students! I'll take attendance while you start working on that test that I promised you." The class let out a collective groan, but Shawn's eyes widened. He began rummaging through his backpack and pulled out a crumpled notebook with part of the cover torn off it. He frantically rifled through the pages, many of which were filled with just a few words or doodles. The teacher looked directly at Shawn as he said, "OK, class, put your notes away and clear off your desks. It's test time." Shawn began looking around the room frantically. He saw Cassie sitting next to him. Shawn whispered, "Psst... Cassie." She turned to him with a scowl. His eyes pleaded with hers. "Not gonna happen, Shawn," Cassie said loudly. This startled Shawn and he jumped in his seat. The teacher looked at Shawn again, "No more talking class."
What did Shawn want from Cassie?
Shawn wanted her to help him cheat.
Screech! Karen stomped on the gas pedal the moment the light turned green. She looked over her left shoulder and zigged past a semi-truck. She zoomed ahead and looked over her right shoulder and then zagged past a motorbike. She glanced at the clock on the console and darted into the parking lot. Whipping into a parking spot, she grabbed her suitcase and ran through the lot, up the escalator, and into the terminal. Her heavy suitcase was bumping and bouncing the whole way. Just as she entered the terminal, she heard an announcement over the loudspeaker, "Final boarding call for flight 205 to JFK..." Karen looked at her ticket and then at the line to get through the security checkpoint, which wrapped around several turnstiles and slithered like a lethargic snake. Karen sighed and then slowly walked to the customer service desk
What is Karen going to do at the customer service desk?
She will try to arrange a new flight.
Troy moved the cloth in a circular direction on his car's fender. Troy loved this car. It wasn't a racecar, but he took really good care of it. Next he wiped down the trunk with the chamois and then the bumper. He put the chamois down and took a step back, putting his hands on his hips and admiring his work. The chrome bumper shined dazzlingly. Suddenly, Troy felt a cool breeze. He heard a distant crack of thunder and noticed a storm cloud rolling in from the west. Troy kicked the water bucket over and said, "Doggone it!"
What is Troy doing?
He is washing his car.
"Honey, I'm home!" Valentino shouted as he crossed the threshold. He walked into the kitchen and put his coat and bag on a counter stool, careful not to damage the flowers that he was carrying. "Where are you, honey?" Valentino asked. "I'm upstairs, dearest!" Dulce shouted as she finished wrapping the tie. Valentino held the flowers behind his back and crept up the stairs. Dulce tied the bow and concealed the package behind her back as she stepped into the hallway. Their eyes met and Valentino and Dulce smiled at one another.
What is Valentino's relationship to Dulce?
They are boyfriend and girlfriend. They could be married as well.
Jenna was shocked when she opened the door to her apartment. There were long rips in the couch, as though someone had run knives down the front of it. A lamp was shattered on the floor. Some picture frames were hanging crookedly, some of them had fallen off the wall and the door to her cat's travel cage was open. Not only that, but the door to the birdcage was swinging back and forth and there were feathers on the floor. She could have sworn that she had locked her cat in the travel cage before she left for work. At first Jenna thought it might have been burglars. Oh no, she thought. Someone broke into my apartment, trashed the place, and stole my cat! Then she heard the cat meowing in her bedroom. She ran to the bedroom and saw the cat patting one of Jenna's favorite shoes with its claws. "That's it!" Jenna yelled. "I'm done with this." She threw the cat back into its travel cage and tried to shut the door, but the lock wouldn't catch. Jenna huffed and then grabbed some duct tape.
What happened to Jenna's apartment?
Her cat tore her apartment to shreds.
Michael was the star quarterback of the football team and he was dating Amanda Barnes, the captain of the cheerleading squad. Everything was going perfectly for them until Michael was seriously injured during one of the last games of the season. The doctors told him that he would probably never play football again and that he would have to wear a large cast on his leg for several months. Amanda stayed really close with Michael immediately after the injury, but then she started to change. She would not visit him often. She would not wait by his locker or help him carry his books to class anymore. Also, he noticed that she was talking more and more with Ken Madsen, the new quarterback. This upset Michael greatly. Then one day Amanda told him that she and Michael needed to have a talk after school. Michael did not like the sound of that.
What does Amanda want to talk about with Michael?
Brenda reached for the box of tissue. She blew her nose with a thunderous force and then tried breathing through it again. It was still clogged. She stood up and got a head rush that almost knocked her back down to the bed, but she regained her balance. As she tottered over to the phone on her dresser, all of her muscles ached. She located the contact labeled "Work" and pressed send. A couple of rings later, a familiar voice answered the phone, "Happy Fun Land, this is Deidra speaking. How can I help you have a happy fun day?" Brenda moaned, "Oh, Deidra, it's Brenda." Deidra responded with pep, "Hey, Brenda! I can't wait to see you this afternoon." Brenda grunted and replied, "Yeah, well, actually, I need to talk to the manager."
Why is Brenda moving so slowly?
She is sick.
Troy moved the cloth in a circular direction on his car's fender. Troy loved this car. It wasn't a racecar, but he took really good care of it. Next he wiped down the trunk with the chamois and then the bumper. He put the chamois down and took a step back, putting his hands on his hips and admiring his work. The chrome bumper shined dazzlingly. Suddenly, Troy felt a cool breeze. He heard a distant crack of thunder and noticed a storm cloud rolling in from the west. Troy kicked the water bucket over and said, "Doggone it!"
Why does Troy get mad at the end of the passage?
It looks like it is going to rain, which will make it so that his hard work was done in vain.
"Honey, I'm home!" Valentino shouted as he crossed the threshold. He walked into the kitchen and put his coat and bag on a counter stool, careful not to damage the flowers that he was carrying. "Where are you, honey?" Valentino asked. "I'm upstairs, dearest!" Dulce shouted as she finished wrapping the tie. Valentino held the flowers behind his back and crept up the stairs. Dulce tied the bow and concealed the package behind her back as she stepped into the hallway. Their eyes met and Valentino and Dulce smiled at one another.
What event is likely to occur next?
They will exchange gifts.
Jenna was shocked when she opened the door to her apartment. There were long rips in the couch, as though someone had run knives down the front of it. A lamp was shattered on the floor. Some picture frames were hanging crookedly, some of them had fallen off the wall and the door to her cat's travel cage was open. Not only that, but the door to the birdcage was swinging back and forth and there were feathers on the floor. She could have sworn that she had locked her cat in the travel cage before she left for work. At first Jenna thought it might have been burglars. Oh no, she thought. Someone broke into my apartment, trashed the place, and stole my cat! Then she heard the cat meowing in her bedroom. She ran to the bedroom and saw the cat patting one of Jenna's favorite shoes with its claws. "That's it!" Jenna yelled. "I'm done with this." She threw the cat back into its travel cage and tried to shut the door, but the lock wouldn't catch. Jenna huffed and then grabbed some duct tape.
What is Jenna going to do with the cat?
She will get rid of the cat.
Michael was the star quarterback of the football team and he was dating Amanda Barnes, the captain of the cheerleading squad. Everything was going perfectly for them until Michael was seriously injured during one of the last games of the season. The doctors told him that he would probably never play football again and that he would have to wear a large cast on his leg for several months. Amanda stayed really close with Michael immediately after the injury, but then she started to change. She would not visit him often. She would not wait by his locker or help him carry his books to class anymore. Also, he noticed that she was talking more and more with Ken Madsen, the new quarterback. This upset Michael greatly. Then one day Amanda told him that she and Michael needed to have a talk after school. Michael did not like the sound of that.
Why does Amanda want to have this talk?
Amanda wants to date an athlete.
Brenda reached for the box of tissue. She blew her nose with a thunderous force and then tried breathing through it again. It was still clogged. She stood up and got a head rush that almost knocked her back down to the bed, but she regained her balance. As she tottered over to the phone on her dresser, all of her muscles ached. She located the contact labeled "Work" and pressed send. A couple of rings later, a familiar voice answered the phone, "Happy Fun Land, this is Deidra speaking. How can I help you have a happy fun day?" Brenda moaned, "Oh, Deidra, it's Brenda." Deidra responded with pep, "Hey, Brenda! I can't wait to see you this afternoon." Brenda grunted and replied, "Yeah, well, actually, I need to talk to the manager."
What is Brenda going to talk about with the manager?
She is going to tell her manager that she is sick.
Emilio took the cap off his head, dropped the baseball bat, and rested his elbows on the fence. It wasn't that he couldn't find the ball. It was sitting right in the middle of the lawn, just beyond the fence. The fence was not very high either. Emilio could probably get a running start, grab the top of the fence, and flip right over it. But there was a dog, a large Rottweiler with a spiked collar. He sat under an awning a few feet away from the ball. He looked at Emilio and let out a menacing growl. Archie, Scotty, and Dutch ran up to Emilio and surveyed the situation. Archie was the first to speak, "So, are you going to do it, Emilio?"
What were the boys doing right before the text begins?
They were playing baseball.
"Honey, I'm home!" Valentino shouted as he crossed the threshold. He walked into the kitchen and put his coat and bag on a counter stool, careful not to damage the flowers that he was carrying. "Where are you, honey?" Valentino asked. "I'm upstairs, dearest!" Dulce shouted as she finished wrapping the tie. Valentino held the flowers behind his back and crept up the stairs. Dulce tied the bow and concealed the package behind her back as she stepped into the hallway. Their eyes met and Valentino and Dulce smiled at one another.
Why is today significant for Valentino and Dulce?
It must be their anniversary or another holiday.
"I'm home!" Earl shouted as he walked in the door. His wife Gail came bounding down the stairs. She hadn't seen him since he had left to go on his silly fishing trip two weeks ago. "I missed you, Husband. Did you catch anything?" Gail reluctantly asked, knowing that Earl was not a very good fisherman. Earl scratched his head and responded, "You're not going to believe what I'm bringing home." Earl unzipped a cooler and pulled out several perfectly filleted salmon steaks. "Wow, Earl, I didn't know that you could fillet a fish like that." Earl looked around the room a little bit and scratched his head, "Uh, yeah, Jeff taught me how." Gail looked at him suspiciously. "Well, let me help you unpack." As Gail was helping Earl unpack his truck, she found a receipt from the grocery store. It was dated from that morning. What she saw was both disappointing and unsurprising.
What did Gail find on the receipt?
Gail finds that Earl has purchased fish fillets from the grocery store.
Screech! Karen stomped on the gas pedal the moment the light turned green. She looked over her left shoulder and zigged past a semi-truck. She zoomed ahead and looked over her right shoulder and then zagged past a motorbike. She glanced at the clock on the console and darted into the parking lot. Whipping into a parking spot, she grabbed her suitcase and ran through the lot, up the escalator, and into the terminal. Her heavy suitcase was bumping and bouncing the whole way. Just as she entered the terminal, she heard an announcement over the loudspeaker, "Final boarding call for flight 205 to JFK..." Karen looked at her ticket and then at the line to get through the security checkpoint, which wrapped around several turnstiles and slithered like a lethargic snake. Karen sighed and then slowly walked to the customer service desk.
Why is Karen in a hurry?
Karen is in a hurry because she is trying to catch a flight.
"Shh…" Dale whispered to his friend Jim. Jim stopped talking mid-sentence and looked at Dale. Dale was dressed in a fluorescent orange sweater with the hood up and a camouflage vest over the sweater. He saw Dale point his rifle at the horizon and squint, and then Jim looked where the barrel was aimed. A large 10-point buck trotted about thirty meters from the bushes behind which Jim and Dale were positioned.
What are Jim and Dale doing in the bushes?
They are hunting.
Emilio took the cap off his head, dropped the baseball bat, and rested his elbows on the fence. It wasn't that he couldn't find the ball. It was sitting right in the middle of the lawn, just beyond the fence. The fence was not very high either. Emilio could probably get a running start, grab the top of the fence, and flip right over it. But there was a dog, a large Rottweiler with a spiked collar. He sat under an awning a few feet away from the ball. He looked at Emilio and let out a menacing growl. Archie, Scotty, and Dutch ran up to Emilio and surveyed the situation. Archie was the first to speak, "So, are you going to do it, Emilio?"
What problem is Emilio facing?
Emilio wants to retrieve the ball, but he is scared of the dog.
"Nico!" Erin shouted at the top of her lungs as she bounded through the meadow, "Come back, Nico!" She was nearly out of breath but she kept running through the tall grass. "Nico, come on, boy! It's time to go home!" Erin continued shouting, her voice hoarse from shouting similar expressions all day. Then she stumbled over the leash that she was carrying, "Whoa… Come on Nico!" Erin shouted, regaining her balance.
Who is Nico?
Erin's dog.
"I'm home!" Earl shouted as he walked in the door. His wife Gail came bounding down the stairs. She hadn't seen him since he had left to go on his silly fishing trip two weeks ago. "I missed you, Husband. Did you catch anything?" Gail reluctantly asked, knowing that Earl was not a very good fisherman. Earl scratched his head and responded, "You're not going to believe what I'm bringing home." Earl unzipped a cooler and pulled out several perfectly filleted salmon steaks. "Wow, Earl, I didn't know that you could fillet a fish like that." Earl looked around the room a little bit and scratched his head, "Uh, yeah, Jeff taught me how." Gail looked at him suspiciously. "Well, let me help you unpack." As Gail was helping Earl unpack his truck, she found a receipt from the grocery store. It was dated from that morning. What she saw was both disappointing and unsurprising.
Why was Gail disappointed and unsurprised with what she saw?
She is disappointed because Earl lied. She is unsurprised because he is not a good fisherman.
Screech! Karen stomped on the gas pedal the moment the light turned green. She looked over her left shoulder and zigged past a semi-truck. She zoomed ahead and looked over her right shoulder and then zagged past a motorbike. She glanced at the clock on the console and darted into the parking lot. Whipping into a parking spot, she grabbed her suitcase and ran through the lot, up the escalator, and into the terminal. Her heavy suitcase was bumping and bouncing the whole way. Just as she entered the terminal, she heard an announcement over the loudspeaker, "Final boarding call for flight 205 to JFK..." Karen looked at her ticket and then at the line to get through the security checkpoint, which wrapped around several turnstiles and slithered like a lethargic snake. Karen sighed and then slowly walked to the customer service desk.
Why does she start walking slowly at the end of the passage?
Karen realizes that she will not make her flight.
"Shh…" Dale whispered to his friend Jim. Jim stopped talking mid-sentence and looked at Dale. Dale was dressed in a fluorescent orange sweater with the hood up and a camouflage vest over the sweater. He saw Dale point his rifle at the horizon and squint, and then Jim looked where the barrel was aimed. A large 10-point buck trotted about thirty meters from the bushes behind which Jim and Dale were positioned.
What event is most likely to occur next?
Dale will shoot the buck.
Emilio took the cap off his head, dropped the baseball bat, and rested his elbows on the fence. It wasn't that he couldn't find the ball. It was sitting right in the middle of the lawn, just beyond the fence. The fence was not very high either. Emilio could probably get a running start, grab the top of the fence, and flip right over it. But there was a dog, a large Rottweiler with a spiked collar. He sat under an awning a few feet away from the ball. He looked at Emilio and let out a menacing growl. Archie, Scotty, and Dutch ran up to Emilio and surveyed the situation. Archie was the first to speak, "So, are you going to do it, Emilio?"
Why is this problem Emilio's instead of Archie's, Scotty's, or Dutch's?
Emilio hit the ball over the fence.
"Nico!" Erin shouted at the top of her lungs as she bounded through the meadow, "Come back, Nico!" She was nearly out of breath but she kept running through the tall grass. "Nico, come on, boy! It's time to go home!" Erin continued shouting, her voice hoarse from shouting similar expressions all day. Then she stumbled over the leash that she was carrying, "Whoa… Come on Nico!" Erin shouted, regaining her balance.
What happened to Nico?
He ran away.
"Gus, I need to see you in my office," said Mr. Matthews. Gus nervously shut the door to Mr. Matthews' office behind him and took a seat. Mr. Matthews' office was so high up that Gus had to angle his chair awkwardly so that he couldn't see out of the window. Mr. Matthews pointed his finger at Gus and began talking, "You have been fitting in great over here, and that's one of the most important things you can do in this company." Gus let out a sigh of relief. Mr. Matthews continued speaking. "Gus, I want to invite you on a company trip. We will be taking a private jet to Colorado." Gus's eyes widened and his heart began thumping rapidly. "Wow, Mr. Matthews! I don't know what to say," Gus replied honestly. Mr. Matthews continued, "Then we will be climbing up a mountain to a private cabin." Gus loosened his tie a bit a gulped. He was hoping that it would be over but Mr. Matthews continued, "After completing some team building activities, we will take a hot air balloon ride over the mountains!" Gus's heart was now pounding so hard that he was worried that Mr. Matthews might see it thumping through his shirt. He was sweating excessively. Mr. Matthews slapped him on the shoulder, "So what do you say Gus?" Gus did not know what to say.
How does Gus really feel about his boss's invitation? Why does he feel this way?