Characters
What is the mother bear doing in paragraphs 4–9?
A ) deciding if they should leave
Read the sentences from paragraph 7 of the story and select the correct meaning of the word sharp as it is used in the sentences.
Sentence: “Shhh” came Mother’s sharp voice. I bit my tongue and scurried out of her reach.
A) angry and not gentle
Read the sentences from paragraph 14 in the box.
Sentence: Large things reached right up to the sky, stretching out this way and that. Others were dressed in green, prickly fur. All about us was a jumble of tangled things—little ones, big ones, bushy ones, skinny ones.
C ) trees and other plants
In paragraph 16, why does the author use the phrase “another, and another”?
C) to show how many hills there are
Based on paragraph 27, how do the cubs most likely feel as they walk through the forest?
A) exhausted
Based on the poem, why does Nanny write “ALEXANDER” on the match-box lid?
C) so she will not let the beetle out again
Read the sentence from paragraph 2 of the story and select the correct meaning of the word sharp as it is used in the sentence.
Sentence: Her sharp ears were perked forward to catch the faintest sound.
D) good at noticing things
Which sentence best states the main idea of the story?
B) Two cubs begin to explore the outside world.
Read paragraph 26 in the box. “You’ll see,” said Mother, and we had to be content with that.
Based on the story, what does the paragraph show about the cubs?
C) The cubs know Mother is not going to answer them right away.
PART A:
How do the cubs most likely feel when they first get to the stream?
PART B:
Which sentence from the story best supports the answer to Part A?
Part A)
B) nervous
Part B)
B) “Would the strange stream gobble her up?” (paragraph 34)
Based on paragraphs 8–11, which phrase helps the reader understand the meaning of incredible in paragraph 11?
C) “. . . could not believe my eyes.” (paragraph 11)
Read line 13 in the box. As there’s lots and lots of beetles which she’s certain we could find,
In the line, which two words make up the contraction she’s?
A ) she is
Based on lines 20–24, what is true about the speaker?
A) The speaker believes the beetle knows him.
Read line 19 in the box. “A beetle-house and Alexander Beetle coming out!”
Why is the line in quotation marks?
D) to show that the words are being spoken
Which sentence from the story best describes how the narrator first reacts to the water?
C) “It was cold and didn’t really have a taste, but it felt good in my mouth.” (paragraph 41)
What is the most likely reason the title of the poem is “Forgiven”?
D) The speaker forgives Nanny.
Why is “Nanny” capitalized throughout the poem?
A) It is a proper noun.
Which paragraph best retells the events of the story in the correct order?
B) The mother bear creates a way out of the den. The bears leave their den to explore the woods. The mother bear takes a long drink of water. The bear cubs play in the stream.