Theme and Main Idea
The Rainy Afternoon
"There is nothing to do!" Nicole complained as she watched it rain. She wanted to fly her kite, but she would have to wait. She wandered over to where her dad was doing a jigsaw puzzle.
"Sit down and join me," her dad said.
Nicole sighed and slumped in the chair. Slowly, she began putting puzzle pieces together. Soon, she was having a good time and had forgotten all about the kite!
Which is a lesson in the story?
A. Be prepared for bad weather.
B. Playing is best in the sunshine.
C. Puzzles are only for grownups.
D. Rainy days can still be fun.
Rainy days can still be fun.
Cayden's Problem
It was recess, and Cayden was happy to play tag with the other squirrels. He was not fast like the rest. When he got to the playground, they had started playing.
"Can I join, please?" he asked.
"I don't know. Ask Julio," said Min.
"Julio, can I?" Cayden asked.
"Ask someone else," he responded.
"Hey, Dion, can I play?"
"Ask Sammy," said Dion.
They never let Cayden play, so he played by himself. Lisa squirrel saw this, and she decided to help him.
"Let's play!" she said.
"Sure! But what?"
"I want to play tag with those boys!" pointed Lisa.
"But . . . but, they never let me play when I ask," Cayden responded.
"Well, stop asking, and start playing!" Lisa insisted.
Lisa ran around with the boys, and was tagged. Cayden followed, and she tagged him. From then on, Cayden never asked for permission to play again.
What kind of a character is Cayden?
A. Static
B. Changing
C. Consistent
D. Dynamic
Dynamic
I don't care if the sky falls down,
For I won't make a frown.
I am untroubled if the ice cream melts,
For its loss will not be felt.
I am unworried if my room is a mess,
For it will cause no distress.
I am undisturbed if it is dark at night,
For it gives me no fright.
All does not matter to me—
Unconcerned will I be.
What is the tone?
A. excited
B. worried
C. happy
D. disinterested
disinterested
Rachael returned home after baseball practice and said, "Mom, I aced the swing today. Everyone was happy with me."
Which phrase is informal?
aced the swing
The Key
by H. Torres
Jack went to Ben’s house to play video games. When Jack got there he realized he had left his key at home. Jack knew his mom would be leaving soon to go shopping. He would have no way of getting back into his house. This worried Jack. Jack knew that when his mom went shopping she would take forever. He also knew he did not have enough time to walk back home before his mom left. Jack immediately told Ben’s mom about forgetting his key at home.
Ben's mom said, "Jack, I would be happy to drive you back to your house so you can get your key. I will call your mom to let her know we are on the way so she can wait for us."
Jack replied, "Thank you, Ms. Stevens!"
They hopped into Ms. Stevens' blue mini-van and arrived at Jack's house just in time. He waved to his mom as he jumped out of the car. His mom handed the key to Jack and gave him a big hug.
How does Ms. Stevens help solve Jack's problem?
She drives Jack to his house to get the key before his mom leaves.
Two Girls, One Stage
Brooklyn was preparing for her chance to sing a solo at the city talent show. Every child in town was welcome to perform for the judges.
Brooklyn's new neighbor Destiny was playing outside and heard Brooklyn practicing. She knocked on Brooklyn's door.
"Hi. I heard you singing my favorite song," Destiny told her. "You sounded great."
"I hope the judges agree with you." Brooklyn explained that the city talent show was hosting tryouts that afternoon.
"I wish I would have known because I love to sing," Destiny said. "Maybe I could help you practice."
Destiny came inside and joined in with Brooklyn. Brooklyn was surprised by Destiny's beautiful voice.
"You should come to the tryouts and see if you can sing a solo, too," Brooklyn said excitedly.
"That is a great idea," Destiny said.
When the girls arrived with their mothers at the talent show, the judges did not have any more tryout times left for Destiny. She and her mother turned to leave.
"Wait!" Brooklyn called. "You can join my act. After all, the best singers started out in groups."
Destiny smiled and said, "Brooklyn, I would be honored! Let's win this talent show."
How do the characters' actions support the lesson that a person should be unselfish?
Brooklyn offers to give up her chance to sing a solo.
Benny had seen the big kids riding skateboards. Now he wanted one. His mom would not buy him a skateboard. She said, "It costs too much money!"
Benny decided to buy himself a skateboard. He did not tell his mom. She would decide skateboards were not safe. He did chores for his neighbors. At first, they looked at him strangely. They could not believe a little kid was mowing lawns and raking leaves. By doing these chores, he earned money for a skateboard.
One day, he asked his mom to take him to the mall. He did not tell her why he wanted to go. She knew her birthday was coming up, so she did not ask questions. When Benny showed up at the food court with a new skateboard, she was surprised. She said, “Well, you earned it. Most kids your age would have given up. I am glad you did not.”
At the end of the selection, the reader can tell that Benny's mom is
proud of Benny.
Beloved, be assured
Your memory has endured
What time has tried to erase,
For I cannot forget your face.
Darling, the years fly away
And try as they may;
You do not fade
By any degree or shade.
Precious, do not forget about me
That is my only plea,
For nothing I can do
Will let me forget about you.
What is the author's attitude toward the person addressed in the poem?
Before they could sit at the table to eat their dinner, the waiter came out of nowhere and said, "Howdy!"
What is the informal word choice or phrase?
Howdy
Stuart's Search
There once was a robot named Stuart, who lived all alone on the planet Mars. Stuart had always wanted a friend. Every day, he would look around Mars for someone to talk to. How can I be the only one here? he always wondered.
One day, he flew all around Mars in search of life. During this trip, he noticed a beautiful, large planet. It was blue with puffs of white. Maybe there is life on that planet, Stuart thought with hope.
Excited, he quickly flew to the blue planet. Once he landed, he discovered it was called Earth. Just as he had hoped, the place was full of life.
He went around and introduced himself. The humans he met were worried. A huge falling star was about to hit Earth. They asked Stuart if he could help.
Stuart was thrilled to help. He had stopped many falling stars from hitting Mars. He quickly flew into space. He saw the falling star moving toward Earth and blasted it into pieces.
When he came back to Earth, a parade was marching down the street. All of the humans cheered when they saw him. Stuart was so happy. He decided to stay on Earth forever.
At the end of the story, Stuart
Do not try to be something you're not.
Darren's Afternoon
It was 1 o’clock in the afternoon. A nice breeze was blowing in the window. Darren was just waking up. He turned on the TV. As usual, he decided to stay in bed for a few more hours. His phone began ringing. He did not answer it. It was all the way across the room. He did not feel like getting up. He was hungry, but making something to eat was too much work for him.
Just as he was about to go back to sleep, Darren saw what he thought was smoke near his window. He jumped out of bed and ran out the front door. He wanted to tell his neighbors, but he could not see their houses. It was too foggy. He realized that he had seen fog coming in his window, not smoke. He felt silly.
Darren can best be described as
lazy.
A Pet by Chance
Hugh and his little sister Drew were playing in the park, and their mother was conversing with their neighbor who was narrating an interesting incident. The place was alive with children of all ages who were playing different games and enjoying the various rides in the park. Hugh and Drew were on the merry-go-round, their favorite ride. Suddenly, amid all the noise in the park, the two children heard a feeble cry. They looked around but did not see anything. It was not the cry of a baby, and it grew a little louder as they tried to focus on the direction from which the sound was coming. They got off the merry-go-round and looked under it, and what they saw there filled their hearts with great warmth. Two innocent eyes were staring back at them. It was a cute, little pug, a pet they had always wanted but never had the courage to ask for, because their father did not like having pets.
Their joy knew no bounds when they drew the charming puppy out and held it in their arms. They petted the squealing puppy, and it instantly connected with them. They rushed to their mother and showed her what they had found. They both said excitedly, "Mom, this is our new pet!" Though their mother was pleased to see the lovable pup, she said, "Kids, you know that Dad doesn't like pets. Also, we cannot just take it like that. It must have been separated from its owner. We must report this, and if no one claims to be its owner, we could then adopt the pet, but that is up to your dad.
Drew said, "I will talk to Dad. I think I can convince him," though she was not sure at all. Finally, their mother gave in to their request, and they brought the puppy home.
The children named it "Chubby" and played with it all day. Chubby was so lively that it ran around the whole house. The kids cleaned and fed the puppy, and as evening approached, they nervously waited for their father's arrival.
Select ALL the correct answers.Which two phrases best convey the cheerful tone of the passage?
filled their hearts with great warmth
enjoying the various rides
A formal way to close a letter to a school principal is _______.
dapted from Not Such Fun as it Seemed
"Isn't it fun, Dolly?" asked Eric. He and his little sister ran along the sea front as fast as their sturdy legs could carry them.
Eric was the jolliest little boy imaginable. But, unfortunately, he was a little bit too fond of mischief. Dolly was generally only too eager to join in her brother's pranks.
Just now, they were running away from the nurse, who was down on the sands with the baby. They waited until her head was turned away, then off they ran.
"We'll go out to the rocks and play at being shipwrecked sailors," Eric went on. "I've got some biscuits in my pocket. I'll dole them out, piece by piece, and pretend we shan't have any more food unless a boat takes us off."
Poor Eric! His play very soon turned real, for he and Dolly waded out to a big rock in a very lonely part of the coast. So interested were they in their game that they never noticed the tide coming in until it had surrounded them. Now, there was no getting back.
They waited on and on, hoping someone would come for them. Every moment, they feared that the sea would cover the rock and that they would be drowned.
It was long past dinner-time. They were wet through and hungry and wretched. At last, a fisherman, who had been sent out to search for them, spied the two lost, little figures, and rescued them.
They went home hand in hand. They were very sad and silent, expecting to get a good scolding. But, instead of that, their mother burst into tears of relief. Both Eric and Dolly felt so thoroughly ashamed of themselves for having frightened their darling mother. They felt so terrible that it was a very long, long time before they got into mischief again.
Which of the following events happens first in the plot?
Eric and Dolly run away from their nurse.
A lion was awakened from sleep by a mouse running over his face. Rising up angrily, he caught the mouse and was about to kill it. The mouse begged, saying, "If you would only spare my life, I would be sure to repay your kindness." The lion laughed and let him go. It happened shortly after this that the lion was caught by some hunters. They bound him by strong ropes to the ground. The mouse recognized his roar. So the mouse gnawed the rope with his teeth and set the lion free, exclaiming, "You laughed at the idea of my ever being able to help you. You never expected to receive any repayment from me; now you know that it is possible for even a mouse to help out a lion."
Even small beings can perform great acts.
“Ta-da!” said the Amazing Zach, and Boingo sighed as Zach pulled him up by his ears. The crowd loudly clapped, and the magic show ended.
Backstage, Boingo said, “My mother warned me to stay away from show business, but I just had to do this for a living!”
“What is wrong, Boingo?” Zach asked.
“I am tired of being a magic-show rabbit,” answered Boingo.
"But I thought you liked magic!” Zach said.
“You do magic," said Boingo. "I sit in a top hat until you pull me from it. Would you want to sit around and wait for someone to pull you from a hat? It is a boring job. The crowd claps for you, not for me.”
“What would you rather do?” asked Zach.
“I do not know exactly,” said Boingo. “I have always wanted to be an egg artist for the Easter Bunny. Running my own carrot farm would also be nice. However, I would rather do something that makes people laugh.”
Zach thought for a minute and said, “I have an idea!”
During the next show, Zach reached into his top hat and found nothing. Puzzled, he looked around. Suddenly, Boingo’s head peaked out from under Zach’s pant leg, and the crowd laughed. Boingo had been hiding in Zach's pant leg! When Zach looked at Boingo, he ran across the stage, and the crowd laughed louder as Zach chased him.
After the show, Boingo said, "I am glad I did not listen to my mother. Show business is the best!"
The word that best describes Boingo at the end of the story is
happy.
adapted from Hide and Seek
by Fyodor Sologub
Everything in Lelechka's nursery was bright, pretty, and cheerful. Lelechka was a delightful child, and her sweet voice charmed her mother. Lelechka's eyes were dark and large, her cheeks were rosy, and her lips were made for laughter, but it was not these charms in Lelechka that gave her mother the keenest joy. Lelechka was her mother's only child and that is why every movement of Lelechka's enchanted her mother. It was great bliss to hold Lelechka on her knees and to feel the little girl in her arms—a thing as lively and as bright as a little bird.
"Mamochka, let's play priatki (hide and seek)," cried Lelechka
Her charming inability to speak correctly always made Serafima, her mother, smile with tender rapture. Lelechka then ran away, stamping with her plump little legs over the carpets, and hid herself behind the curtains near her bed.
"Where is my baby girl?" the mother asked, as she looked for Lelechka and made her believe that she did not see her, and Lelechka poured out her rippling laughter in her hiding place. Then she came out a little farther, and her mother, as though she had only just caught sight of her, seized her by her little shoulders and exclaimed joyously, "Here she is, my Lelechka!"
In the passage, why does the author choose to use the words "charmed," "enchanted," and "keenest"?
to show a mother's love towards her daughter
(1) Ever since cars were invented, people have been working on hybrid cars. (2) A hybrid car is one that uses more than one source of power. (3) Nevertheless, up until the last twenty years, there were very few of them. (4) However, gasoline prices were sometimes sky-high. (5) Also, some places have had high levels of air pollution. (6) Because people wanted to do something about these issues, some companies got in the groove on the hybrid car idea.
(7) In the late 1990s, large numbers of hybrid cars began to be produced. (8) These cars use gas and electricity to run. (9) They can be driven up to a certain speed using electricity and then switch to gas power. (10) Their gas tanks are there to give them extra energy for certain things and to make sure that the drivers do not completely run out of power. (11) Hybrid cars are super cool. (12) Who knows what the next change in cars will bring!
super cool
One day a scorpion needed to cross a river. He called on a nearby frog for help.
"I cannot carry you on my back," said the frog, "for you will sting me and I shall drown."
"I cannot sting you, fool," the scorpion said. "If I sting you, we both shall drown."
The frog agreed to take the scorpion across the river on his back. Halfway across the river, the scorpion stung the frog with his poison stinger.
As the frog began to drown, he scolded the scorpion, "Fool! Now we will both drown!"
"I cannot help it," the scorpion said. "It is my nature."
adapted from "The Scorpion and the Frog" by Aesop
The scorpion stings the frog, and they both drown.
Lawn Honors
Mr. Brooks took pride in having the nicest lawn in the neighborhood. When he purchased a new riding lawnmower, even his sons wanted to take part in the beautification of the family's property. After all, with the new mower, yard work was fun.
Much to their dismay, their father was too particular and didn't let anyone mow. He did request, however, that his two sons keep the trash and broken limbs picked up out of the yard. Raymond was faithful to the task. Every day after school, he took great care in ensuring that the lawn was perfectly clean. This pleased his father very much.
Jason, on the other hand, wasn't concerned with his father's request. He chose to wait until his father would finally let him use the riding lawnmower. Then, he would contribute to lawn care.
Mr. Brooks began to notice the commitment Raymond had to keeping the lawn in its very best shape. He realized they shared a common goal. Because of his hard work, his father would now entrust the riding lawnmower to Raymond. At last, he had earned the great honor of mowing the grass.
What is the theme of this passage?
If you are faithful with small tasks, you will be entrusted with greater ones.
In the middle of a long, cold winter, Jonathon and his guitar, named Sam, needed a vacation. Jonathon decided the best location would be the opposite of cool snow. He picked the warm sand of the desert.
When Jonathon and Sam arrived, Jonathon was happy with the hot temperatures, but Sam was not. His strings became hard and rough. Here, Sam was outside for long stretches, unlike back home. Sam wanted to go back home.
While vacationing, Jonathon met a student named Andrea. She played the piano but wanted to learn how to play guitar. Jonathon chose a nice spot outside. As Jonathon and Sam patiently waited for Andrea, a sand storm began to rise. Jonathon pulled Sam close and held tight to the guitar.
"It will be OK, Sam," Jonathan whispered.
The winds grew stronger and the sand made seeing difficult. Jonathon tapped uneasily on Sam's smooth wood. Jonathon began to worry that Andrea would not be able to find them, so he began to play a nervous tune on Sam. Though Sam's strings were not as easily picked in the desert weather, he wanted Andrea to arrive safely. Just when Jonathon and Sam were about to go and search for Andrea, they heard a voice as the storm began to calm. It was Andrea!
"Hello, Jonathon and Sam!" she shouted.
"We were thinking you might get lost in this storm," Jonathon said with relief.
"I almost did get lost. If it weren't for the beautiful sounds coming from Sam's strings, I wouldn't have found you!" Andrea said.
Though the desert was not the best weather for Sam, he had to admit that Andrea's compliment made the desert more pleasant.
adventurous
My Brother
My annoying brother likes to drive me crazy.
There is no other who is that lazy.
He whines to Mom and Dad night and day
Until he eventually gets his way.
What is a sister to do
When he screams 'til he's blue?
There is no way to win,
For he gets under your skin.
He does his best to kill all joy.
Oh, how my brother does annoy!
What is the author's attitude toward the person addressed in the poem?
The author finds her brother's behavior bothersome.
Which sentence is the best way to ask your teacher for help in math?
Will you please explain one more time how to divide fractions?
Solomon John agreed to ride to Farmer Jones's for a basket of apples, and he decided to go on horseback. The horse was brought round to the door. Now he had not ridden for a great while; and, though the little boys were there to help him, he had great trouble in getting on the horse.
He tried a great many times, but always found himself facing the wrong way, looking at the horse's tail. They turned the horse's head, first up the street, then down the street; it made no difference; he always made some mistake, and found himself sitting the wrong way.
"Well," said he, at last, "I don't know as I care. If the horse has his head in the right direction, that is the main thing. Sometimes I ride this way in the cars, because I like it better. I can turn my head easily enough, to see where we are going." So off he went, and the little boys said he looked like a circus-rider, and they were much pleased.
He rode along out of the village, under the elms, very quietly. Pretty soon he came to a bridge, where the road went across a little stream. Pretty soon he came to a bridge, where the road went across a little stream. There was a road at the side, leading down to the stream, because sometimes waggoners watered their horses there. Solomon John's horse turned off, too, to drink of the water.
"Very well," said Solomon John, "I don't blame him for wanting to wet his feet, and to take a drink, this hot day."
When they reached the middle of the stream, the horse bent over his head.
"How far his neck comes into his back!" exclaimed Solomon John; and at that very moment he found he had slid down over the horse's head, and was sitting on a stone, looking into the horse's face. There were two frogs, one on each side of him, sitting just as he was, which pleased Solomon John, so he began to laugh instead of to cry.
But the two frogs jumped into the water.
"It is time for me to go on," said Solomon John. So he gave a jump, as he had seen the frogs do; and this time he came all right on the horse's back, facing the way he was going.
Solomon John says that he will get a basket of apples.